An international advocacy group has urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos to stop the country’s fish importation and implement “inclusive and science-based” fishery programs that will benefit local fisherfolk.

Also, Oceana called on the chief executive to prevent illegal fishing of commercial fishers in municipal waters.

"In consonance with his SONA (State of the Nation Address) on attaining national food sufficiency, particularly by increasing farm and fishery productivity, we are asking President Bongbong Marcos to stop fish importation; implement inclusive, science-based fisheries management plan, and prosecute commercial fishers encroaching in municipal waters," Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana Philippines vice president, said in a statement released, Thursday, Sept. 22.

Ramos said the country’s aquaculture and marine resources should be prioritized as a major source of food and nutrition for Filipinos.

“ut these continue to degrade because of lack of political will to fully and vigorously implement fishery laws, policies and regulations,” she noted.

She said Marcos, who in a concurrent capacity heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), should “focus on restoring our rich marine resources through the strict implementation of the Fisheries Code (RA 8550) as amended, or RA 10654, that mandates the protection of the 15-kilometer municipal waters from commercial fishing operations.”

Ramos also cited the “anemic implementation” of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 263 that delineates the country’s surrounding oceans into 12 Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs).

"While there are initial successes in Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao regions, and that the 12 FMAs have their respective management boards and scientific advisory groups, much is still to be desired in the implementation of their FMA management plans to effectively restore our fishing grounds and ensure that small fisherfolk are provided ample assistance for their livelihood, post-harvest facilities and perhaps fuel and food subsidies to improve their income and their families’ well-being,” she said.

"The DA-BFAR, now led by officer-in-charge Atty. Demosthenes Escoto, should continuously work hand in hand with fishing industry stakeholders and local government unit (LGU) officials to ensure that our marginalized fisherfolk and coastal communities are taken care of.”

Oceana said it has been closely working with the DA-BFAR, LGUs, and fishers' groups in the sustained implementation of the National Sardine Management Plan in all FMAs, as previously directed by former DA secretary William Dar, to arrest the declining catch of pelagic fish species, particularly fimbriated sardines (tunsoy), which has decreased by 13.5 percent as of the first quarter (Q1) of 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA also reported a decrease in all captured fisheries for Q1 2022, from 973,622 metric tons (MT) a year ago, in both commercial and municipal fisheries, to 971,501 MT, due to rising fuel costs.