What do government statistics say about overfishing in the Visayan sea?
Date
2007-04
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Abstract
The primary objective of this study is to determine whether government statistics support the idea that the fisheries sector is plagued by overfishing. The researcher takes its cue from a previous work by Danilo C. Israel and Cesar P. Banzon entitled, "Overfishing in the Philippine Commercial Marine Fisheries Sector'', a PIDS Discussion Paper published on January 1997. The authors limit their analysis to only one fishing ground: the Visayan Sea, as each fishing ground is unique and experienced pressure differently. Using data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to show that the effort of the Philippine commercial fisheries sector had exceeded critical points of sustainability, the authors were able to conclude that there are indications that the Visayan Sea has indeed been overfished. From 1987 to 1995, the value per MT of commercial yield in the Visayan Sea exhibits a declining trend. This can be attributed to ecological overfishing, where excessive human extraction has brought about significant changes in the composition of the marine environment.
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Keywords
Overfishing, Marine biodiversity, Fisheries, Illegal fishing, Fishing policy, Fishing