of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines - weADAPT

More documents

Recommendations

Info

climate change vulnerability assessment of the verde island passage, philippines dominant small pelagic species include roundscad, anchovies, mackerel, and sardines while the tuna species caught include skipjack and yellowfin. Demersal species include slipmouths, threadfin bream, and squid. For the three provinces, the distribution of major species caught is similar, and in all cases small pelagics dominate the production total. This study found that tuna ranks second and demersals rank third, in all provinces. Soliman (manuscript) suggests that Mabini and Tingloy together contribute to about 2000 MT per year of tuna per year or more than half of the total Batangas production. Table 26. Aquaculture production (thousand MT) from brackish water fishponds and seaweed farms estimated for Verde Island Passage from 2005-2007. Province 2005 2006 2007 Fishponds Batangas Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Total fishponds Seaweeds Batangas Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Total seaweeds 0.19 0.76 2.05 3.00 0.50 0.51 0.15 1.16 0.19 0.78 2.14 3.11 0.70 0.55 0.14 1.39 Table 27. Estimates for tuna, small pelagics and demersal fish catch (thousand MT) from the Verde Island Passage from 2005-2007. 0.16 0.86 2.22 3.24 1.00 0.58 0.12 1.70 3 year Province 2005 2006 2007 average ii. Fishers and fishing units We estimated a total of 12,000 municipal and commercial fishers were utilizing the fisheries resources of Verde Island Passage. It was not possible to disaggregate the numbers of commercial and municipal fishers to the major species group (tuna, small pelagics, and demersals) because both sectors were exploiting the same target species albeit using different gears or size/power of boats. The same observation on targeting similar species is echoed by Soliman in his manuscript on Mabini and Tingloy. However, we estimated the number of municipal and commercial fishers by extrapolating from available data. Data from Batangas Provincial Agriculturists Office suggested that there were approximately 550 commercial fishers, and another 400 deep sea fishers from Lubang municipality. We therefore used a conservative estimate of 2,000 commercial fishers out of the total 12,000. We could not make any judgment on whether these numbers include aquarium fishers but we nevertheless indicated the numbers in Table 28. Table 28. Number of commercial and municipal fishers per province including aquarium fishers (estimates from various sources). Commercial and municipal Aquarium Province fishers fishers Source Batangas Batangas City (Bgy Sn Andres, Verde Is.) 9508 117 Rosales consultancy report for CI (2006) MAC Report, Reef Check Report Tuna Batangas Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Small Pelagics Batangas Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro 3.24 0.98 3.06 14.26 3.83 8.10 4.42 1.15 2.97 19.99 4.14 8.10 3.75 1.34 2.94 18.81 4.40 8.74 3.80 1.16 2.99 17.69 4.12 8.31 Occidental Mindoro Lubang Looc Paluan Oriental Mindoro Total 1300 614 258 420 1477 12200 14 14 20 (estimate only) 250 MAC Report, Reef Check Report Coastal resource profile of Oriental Mindoro Demersals Batangas Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro 2.60 1.12 2.14 3.39 1.00 2.13 3.84 1.03 2.22 3.28 1.05 2.16 56
chapter 2 • human well-being and climate change: results and discussion iii. Aquarium fisheries Aquarium fishing is prevalent in Verde Island (under the jurisdiction of Batangas City) Lubang, Looc, and Paluan and all of Occidental Mindoro. Studies on the aquarium trade indicate that aquarium fishing is also practiced in Lian and Calatagan (Figure 44). (use hands or hand-based tools) divers or those who do not use any air-supplying device. Dives may last from 8 am until 2 pm every day until enough fish are assembled, i.e., about 500 to 1000 assorted tropical fish, after which the catch is brought to Tabangao en route to Manila. A comparison of average monthly incomes of: a) mano mano fisher; b) hookah collector (including crew), and c) trader indicate that the mano mano fisher earns an average of P4,600 per month compared to the hookah collector who earns P5,100. The trader earns the highest at P7,800 per month (MAC Report). Despite the relatively low average monthly incomes, the income of mano mano fishers may be as high as P12,000 in some months, and hookah fishers as high as P19,000, presumably when catches are high and when the expensive species are caught. Fig. 44. Roving collection routes in the Verde Island Passage corridor. A feature article that chronicles the lives and practices of aquarium fishers of Barangay San Andres in Verde Island has anecdotal details that indicate vulnerable marine resources and human communities in the passage (Lesaba 2009). In that community, 90% of the population (about 1200 people) is engaged in diving for tropical fish or aquaculture. They go to areas with good reefs and catch species such as yellow wrasse, sexline wrasse, longnose pupper, white fin lion, spot fin anthias. Occasionally, they catch “Majestic” which are priced at P800 to P1000 apiece. It is more of a way of life for the people of Barangay San Andres so they have to continuously adapt to local regulations and find some enterprising “sponsors” in other municipalities/ provinces. Ironically, the practice is banned not only in Verde Island but also in the barangay which breeds aquarium fishers and this is the reason why the practice is exported to places such as Lubang and Looc in Occidental Mindoro (Figure 44). Conservation International has also commissioned the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) and Reefcheck to investigate sustainability options for roving aquarium fishers in the Verde Island Passage. The collection practice itself is dependent on good weather, especially for those who are “mano mano” Early analyses of the effects of El Niño on tuna fisheries in the Philippines point to minimal or no impacts on overall production. Barut (1999) argues that Philippine waters approximate that of the Western Tropical Pacific (WTP) where no warm water intrusion is bound to occur and even if it does, tuna is known to thermoregulate. Further observations of U.S. tuna fleets support the claim that no change in production is expected in the WTP waters. Meanwhile, the Australian Bluefin Association observed an increase in tuna production, and an increase in small pelagics, especially in areas where upwelling occurs. Recent climate change studies depict more of a downtrend in production and a shift in abundance at higher latitudes (Aaheim and Sygna 2000) and modeled changes for skipjack (Pratchett et al. 2008). Increased water temperature is forecast to result in changes to the distribution and abundance of tuna towards the Central Pacific and away from the Coral Triangle area. Moreover the impacts of increasing water temperature on habitats and incidence of storms and acidification threaten coastal habitats such as coral reefs. Lehodey (2000) agrees with the shift in spatial distribution and decline in abundance of fisheries, especially in the Pacific, but recognizes that some countries may in fact gain from this anticipated change. iv. Small pelagics fisheries The importance of the small pelagic fisheries sector in Verde Island Passage can be gleaned from production statistics. Annual average production of small pelagics (sardines, anchovies, round scads, and mackerels) total more than 30, 000 MT. In Batangas province, more than 70% of catch is small pelagics and in the two Mindoro provinces, more than 60% of catch is small pelagics. Both commercial and municipal fishers exploit the small pelagics fisheries. 57
Page 1 and 2:
Climate change vulnerability assess
Page 3 and 4:
Preface The Verde Island Passage, i
Page 5:
Table of contents Chapter 1: Vulner
Page 8 and 9:
climate change vulnerability assess
Page 10 and 11:
climate change vulnerability assess
Page 12 and 13: climate change vulnerability assess
Page 44 and 45: Table 21. Vulnerability assessment
Page 100: Conservation International (CI) Mis
show all

of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines - weADAPT

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?