NEW REPORT: Philippine Fisheries in Freefall, 45 Million Kilos of Fish Lost Annually
Press Release Date: February 2, 2026
Oceana warns of a national food security crisis, demands urgent government action
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – A new study released by international marine protection organization Oceana reveal that the Philippines is losing 45 million kilograms of fish catch every year, stressing that unless the Marcos government takes serious, urgent action to implement the Fisheries Code and hold officials accountable, the nation’s fisheries face imminent collapse.
Data from the report titled The Philippine Fisheries Assessment, A Glimpse of RA 10654’s 10-Year Implementation launched Monday at the University of the Philippines Diliman shows a catastrophic 13-year decline in the nation’s fisheries , with total losses reaching 591,136 metric tons of fish since 2010 due to weak law enforcement and failed governance.
This scarcity has a nationwide effect, with fish being the Philippines’ primary source of protein. In coastal communities, however, these figures are already translating to generational poverty—more than 353,000 fisherfolk families fell below the poverty line in 2023, with more than 93,000 of them classified as food-poor or unable to afford even the most basic food requirements.
“This is a national food security emergency,” said Von Hernandez, Oceana Vice President. “Our fisheries are being emptied, and with them, the livelihoods and food sources of millions of Filipinos. We call on President Marcos Jr. to reverse this alarming trend by investigating and holding to account the government officials and vested interests responsible for this gross neglect.”
Oceana’s study, penned by scientist-authors of University of the Philippines Visayas, bewails the dire situation of the fisheries industry, which has been in documented decline for the past 40 years despite the existence of comprehensive legal frameworks aimed at restoring and managing it for current and future generations. Analysis of the findings pins the crisis on the weak and ineffective implementation of the Fisheries Code (RA 10654) and a critical lack of leadership from the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Other critical points from the report include:
- Stock Collapse: 88 % of fish stocks are overfished and depleted according to the government’s own National Stock Assessment Program report in 2017
- Production Plunge: Catch has plummeted from 2.6 million metric tons (2010) to 1.9 million metric tons (2023)
Commercial Encroachment: Oceana’s Karagatan Patrol satellites detected 270,165 night lights over approximately 25 hectares of water from 2017-2024—reliable indicators for apparent commercial vessel presence in municipal waters and protected areas. - Human Cost: 2.5 million fisherfolk and their families are suffering, with almost 15% (353,190) living below the poverty line and 93,030 families deemed “food-poor.”
- Dying Industry: The average Filipino fisher is now 49-52 years old, with the next generation abandoning the trade due to paltry monthly incomes of P2,500 to P7,000
“Our fishers are the ones putting food on our table, yet they are the ones going hungry and struggling from poverty. “Instead of enforcing science-based recovery measures as mandated by law, DA-BFAR is peddling amendments that would let commercial fishing fleets raid municipal waters – the final refuge for our recovering stocks and small fishers. This is incompetence meeting greed, and it’s shrinking our fisheries and emptying people’s nets,” Hernandez stated.
The launch event brings together stakeholders from the fisheries sector, key government agencies, the academe, and artisanal fishers, presenting the harsh realities on the ground and calling on the government to seriously confront and reverse this crisis.
Oceana’s Fisheries Audit Report was penned by Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, Executive Director of Too Big To Ignore Philippines and Vice-Chancellor of UP Visayas; Dr. Wilfredo Campos, fisheries expert and retired UP Visayas professor; and Dr. Harold Monteclaro, Dean of College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences in UP Visayas.
**Download the Philippine Fisheries Assessment and its popular version Net Loss: How Governance Gaps Are Sinking Philippine Fisheries.
QUOTES FROM THE FISHERIES AUDIT AUTHORS:
Alice Joan Ferrer, Executive Director of Too Big To Ignore Philippines and Vice-Chancellor of UP Visayas
- The first stage of resolving the wicked problem is recognizing the problem. The second stage is to accept the fact that we must do something about it. Third is to find viable solutions to address the problem.
- When we are addressing a wicked problem, we should look at the governance. We need to change the approach, it should be transdisciplinary- it demands action.
- We have all the laws, what we need to do is just to implement it correctly and for all agencies to perform their mandate.
- We have to be more open to sharing and collaboration.
- Protecting municipal waters is not only for the fisherfolk but for everybody.
- We must protect the fisheries sector. It is a foundation of food security, culture and economic resilience. Its management must be guided by sound science.
- When fisheries are well-managed, we don’t just protect our fish – we secure our nation’s food, culture and future.
- We push for equity, making sure that the small-scale fishers who catch little but feed many are prioritized in decision making and resource access.
Wilfredo Campos, fisheries expert and retired UP Visayas professor
- There should be tighter working together from those in the government and other stakeholders.
- We have adequate information to intervene, but we don’t take time to sit down, discuss and decide what and how to intervene. It is time to look at the possibilities of what we can do if we work together (academe, government, stakeholders).
Harold Monteclaro, Dean of College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences in UP Visayas
- We come from the academe, so we rely on scientific data and we make recommendations based on that data. So we call on everyone to help, and for those who have the data to share these.
- We promote alliances among and across local government units and work together with the national government to ensure sustainability of fisheries management initiatives.
- At the end of the day, somebody must look at the welfare of our fisherfolk.
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 325 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world.