The endangered sea around us
By Edwin N. Camaya
The Manila Times
March 25, 2003
The scenario has never been this clear. The uncontainable bomb called population growth has put so much pressure on sources of food, the farmlands and the forests. Now the oceans are in trouble too.
As early as 1993, the Food and Agricultural Organization reported that nine of the world’s 17 main fishing grounds were suffering a potentially catastrophic decline in some species. Around the world, there is a decline in fish catch. In the temperate countries, the catch of the Atlantic cod, the Cape hake, the haddock and the silver hake had fallen from 5 million metric tons in 1970 to 2.6 million by 1989 (by the mid-1990s, fisheries of the once-abundant Atlantic cod, which gave its name to places like Cape Cod, Massachusetts, had collapsed). Similar drops in catch have been reported in the local tuna industry. The problem is more critical in developing countries like the Philippines because fish is often the only source of protein, unlike in wealthier nations where choices are far more varied.
Prof. Vincent V. Hilomen
One UP Los Baños faculty member who makes it his business to conserve this precious resource is Dr. Vincent V. Hilomen, a professor at the Animal Biology Division of the Institute of Biological Sciences, uplb. A product of UP Diliman and James Cook University in Australia, perhaps the world’s leading institution in tropical marine science, and a former research assistant at the UP Marine Science Institute, he brings with him solid credentials for teaching and research in this field. Listing reef fish ecology/population dynamics, coral reef fisheries and marine protected areas/reserves as his research areas, Dr. Hilomen has been involved in the conservation of fisheries resources around the country, maintenance and management of our marine resources to make them yield enough for our needs, conservation of marine fisheries, distribution patterns of fish communities to inter- and intra-habitat movement patterns of reef fishes, and the different factors which impinge on such movements and other aspects of fish behavior—all of it contributing to the understanding, and ultimately towards better maintenance and enhancement of coastal fisheries in the country.
Lingayen Gulf
One of Dr. Hilomen’s recent projects is a survey and a management plan for the heavily exploited Lingayen Gulf. The Gulf is a study in contrasts, from relatively pristine sections where a program to reintroduce Philippine clams has been thriving, to coastal areas so intensively devoted to fish culture, far beyond the environment’s carrying capacity, that massive fish kills have resulted. Overall, however, the fisheries situation there is a source of concern, manifested not only quantitatively (in terms of decline in catch) but qualitatively as well (as seen in smaller size classes caught, and in a shift to less expensive species as the more expensive ones are fished out). Apart from pollution from various sources, an immediate cause for this is overfishing, fishing pressure having doubled from 1985 to 2000 despite the shift of commercial fisheries to areas outside the Gulf.
The management plan includes the establishment of marine reserves, stricter implementation of fisheries laws (which include a ban on destructive fishing methods), adoption of a fisheries code of practice highlighting the best fisheries practices, encouragement of growout ponds for siganids, a licensing scheme for all fisheries at the municipal level, and a monitoring, evaluation and response feedback (merf) system. It is a scheme that attempts to strike a balance between the numerous factors, human and environmental. With proper implementation, and barring a major population increase, it should allow the sustainable exploitation of the Gulf’s resources while responding to the needs of the region.
Marine fishery reserves
In addition to the management and optimization of the country’s fishery reserves, other studies in which Dr. Hilomen is currently involved include advance basic knowledge in marine science by enhancing our knowledge of fish population dynamics, while having a direct application in the conservation of marine resources and assuring sustainable fisheries. For instance, a whole series of research deals with the waters around Danjugan Island in Negros Oriental, which was selected because of the abundance of coral reefs, and the area’s biodiversity and relatively pristine state.
One of these projects, a pioneering one that deals with reef fish assemblages and their potentials for testing spillover effects, aims to develop the use of Marine Fishery Reserves (MFRs) and make them more effective in sustaining fisheries. It is examining adult fish movement out of reserves to adjacent fishing areas, thereby providing a strong scientific basis to convince local governments to establish a network of marine reserves. The results are encouraging, with a recapture rate of 7.5 percent (which is 2.5 times that of other Hilomen’s team is already looking forward to other projects. These include establishing a fish aging facility to monitor fish population dynamics better. By enhancing age-based analytical methods, this facility will generate a reliable basis for fisheries policies.
The human factor
While elated by these positive developments, Dr. Hilomen cautions that they are to be viewed soberly and objectively, considering both sides of the coin. Because much of his work revolves around the sea, he is the first to acknowledge the tremendous odds that he and other marine scientists face. There is so much that cannot be controlled, not just the weather or the forces of nature, but, increasingly, the human factor, whether in terms of the attitudes and behavior of fisherfolk, or in the form of politics and political pressure. The population, and hence the need for fish, is so great that it is increasingly difficult to strike a balance between providing for the needs of fishermen and maintaining fish stocks. He admits that he sometimes feels frustrated that what he and his colleagues are doing seem not to make as much impact as it should because of factors beyond their control. But he goes on with his work, knowing that if he gives up, things would certainly be worse. The thought that his group is somehow making a difference is enough to keep him going.
Like other UPLB scientists, who either help boost the production of our crops and food sources or contribute to the conservation of existing natural resources, he does his part, working towards the goal of a bountiful future for a rapidly growing nation. Perhaps more than in other sectors, real progress here can only be attained with support from the public, as well as the full backing of the authorities and the private sector. But because the sea, to a much greater extent than the land, is a common resource utilized by everyone, the benefits will also be shared by the community. In spite of everything, there may be hope, after all, that our final frontier will not go the way of our ravaged land.
The work of marine scientists like Dr. Hilomen has shown how to conserve this irreplaceable resource, how it may be used wisely and passed on as our legacy to future generations. It is for the rest of us to listen and do our part.
By Edwin N. Camaya
The Manila Times
March 25, 2003
The scenario has never been this clear. The uncontainable bomb called population growth has put so much pressure on sources of food, the farmlands and the forests. Now the oceans are in trouble too.
As early as 1993, the Food and Agricultural Organization reported that nine of the world’s 17 main fishing grounds were suffering a potentially catastrophic decline in some species. Around the world, there is a decline in fish catch. In the temperate countries, the catch of the Atlantic cod, the Cape hake, the haddock and the silver hake had fallen from 5 million metric tons in 1970 to 2.6 million by 1989 (by the mid-1990s, fisheries of the once-abundant Atlantic cod, which gave its name to places like Cape Cod, Massachusetts, had collapsed). Similar drops in catch have been reported in the local tuna industry. The problem is more critical in developing countries like the Philippines because fish is often the only source of protein, unlike in wealthier nations where choices are far more varied.
Prof. Vincent V. Hilomen
One UP Los Baños faculty member who makes it his business to conserve this precious resource is Dr. Vincent V. Hilomen, a professor at the Animal Biology Division of the Institute of Biological Sciences, uplb. A product of UP Diliman and James Cook University in Australia, perhaps the world’s leading institution in tropical marine science, and a former research assistant at the UP Marine Science Institute, he brings with him solid credentials for teaching and research in this field. Listing reef fish ecology/population dynamics, coral reef fisheries and marine protected areas/reserves as his research areas, Dr. Hilomen has been involved in the conservation of fisheries resources around the country, maintenance and management of our marine resources to make them yield enough for our needs, conservation of marine fisheries, distribution patterns of fish communities to inter- and intra-habitat movement patterns of reef fishes, and the different factors which impinge on such movements and other aspects of fish behavior—all of it contributing to the understanding, and ultimately towards better maintenance and enhancement of coastal fisheries in the country.
Lingayen Gulf
One of Dr. Hilomen’s recent projects is a survey and a management plan for the heavily exploited Lingayen Gulf. The Gulf is a study in contrasts, from relatively pristine sections where a program to reintroduce Philippine clams has been thriving, to coastal areas so intensively devoted to fish culture, far beyond the environment’s carrying capacity, that massive fish kills have resulted. Overall, however, the fisheries situation there is a source of concern, manifested not only quantitatively (in terms of decline in catch) but qualitatively as well (as seen in smaller size classes caught, and in a shift to less expensive species as the more expensive ones are fished out). Apart from pollution from various sources, an immediate cause for this is overfishing, fishing pressure having doubled from 1985 to 2000 despite the shift of commercial fisheries to areas outside the Gulf.
The management plan includes the establishment of marine reserves, stricter implementation of fisheries laws (which include a ban on destructive fishing methods), adoption of a fisheries code of practice highlighting the best fisheries practices, encouragement of growout ponds for siganids, a licensing scheme for all fisheries at the municipal level, and a monitoring, evaluation and response feedback (merf) system. It is a scheme that attempts to strike a balance between the numerous factors, human and environmental. With proper implementation, and barring a major population increase, it should allow the sustainable exploitation of the Gulf’s resources while responding to the needs of the region.
Marine fishery reserves
In addition to the management and optimization of the country’s fishery reserves, other studies in which Dr. Hilomen is currently involved include advance basic knowledge in marine science by enhancing our knowledge of fish population dynamics, while having a direct application in the conservation of marine resources and assuring sustainable fisheries. For instance, a whole series of research deals with the waters around Danjugan Island in Negros Oriental, which was selected because of the abundance of coral reefs, and the area’s biodiversity and relatively pristine state.
One of these projects, a pioneering one that deals with reef fish assemblages and their potentials for testing spillover effects, aims to develop the use of Marine Fishery Reserves (MFRs) and make them more effective in sustaining fisheries. It is examining adult fish movement out of reserves to adjacent fishing areas, thereby providing a strong scientific basis to convince local governments to establish a network of marine reserves. The results are encouraging, with a recapture rate of 7.5 percent (which is 2.5 times that of other Hilomen’s team is already looking forward to other projects. These include establishing a fish aging facility to monitor fish population dynamics better. By enhancing age-based analytical methods, this facility will generate a reliable basis for fisheries policies.
The human factor
While elated by these positive developments, Dr. Hilomen cautions that they are to be viewed soberly and objectively, considering both sides of the coin. Because much of his work revolves around the sea, he is the first to acknowledge the tremendous odds that he and other marine scientists face. There is so much that cannot be controlled, not just the weather or the forces of nature, but, increasingly, the human factor, whether in terms of the attitudes and behavior of fisherfolk, or in the form of politics and political pressure. The population, and hence the need for fish, is so great that it is increasingly difficult to strike a balance between providing for the needs of fishermen and maintaining fish stocks. He admits that he sometimes feels frustrated that what he and his colleagues are doing seem not to make as much impact as it should because of factors beyond their control. But he goes on with his work, knowing that if he gives up, things would certainly be worse. The thought that his group is somehow making a difference is enough to keep him going.
Like other UPLB scientists, who either help boost the production of our crops and food sources or contribute to the conservation of existing natural resources, he does his part, working towards the goal of a bountiful future for a rapidly growing nation. Perhaps more than in other sectors, real progress here can only be attained with support from the public, as well as the full backing of the authorities and the private sector. But because the sea, to a much greater extent than the land, is a common resource utilized by everyone, the benefits will also be shared by the community. In spite of everything, there may be hope, after all, that our final frontier will not go the way of our ravaged land.
The work of marine scientists like Dr. Hilomen has shown how to conserve this irreplaceable resource, how it may be used wisely and passed on as our legacy to future generations. It is for the rest of us to listen and do our part.
