‘Alarming’: Yamsuan cites adverse impact on food security of aging fisherfolk

Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan

Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan has expressed deep concern over the increasingly detrimental impact of the Philippines’ aging fisherfolk population on the nation’s food security.

Yamsuan proposed that the government open more scholarships to young students to entice them to take up careers in aquaculture and fisheries.

The government should also step up the implementation of its post-harvest and marketing programs for the sector to make fishing and its related activities more appealing and profitable for young Filipinos, said Yamsuan, the newly designated chairperson of the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries.

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During the first hearing presided by Yamsuan as chair of the Committee, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) reported that of the 2.5 million Filipinos dependent on the country’s oceans and inland water bodies for their livelihood, about 24%, or 600,000 are above 60 years old, while another 21%, or about 525,000 are aged 51 to 60.

Yamsuan said this means that almost half or about 1.1 million are aging fisherfolk. Only 8% or about 200,000 are young fishers aged 21-30, while the rest are 31 to 40 years old.

“This is alarming. The fisheries and aquaculture industry, a major source of protein for our people, is vital to our food security. Gayong pinagpupugay natin ang giting, dedikasyon at sipag ng ating mga mangingisda, tayo ay nababahala na baka dumating ang araw na magkulang na ang kanilang mga bilang kung hindi tayo kikilos agad para muling lumakas ang sektor at ma-encourage ang mga kabataan na humubog ng career sa fisheries and aquaculture,” Yamsuan said.

(While we salute the courage, dedication and diligence of our fisherfolk, we are concerned that there may come a time when their numbers would decline unless we act fast to strengthen this sector and encourage the youth to embark on careers in aquaculture and fisheries”)

The disturbing trend is reflected in the decline in production of the sector and the country’s growing dependence on fish imports.

In his report during the hearing, BFAR Assistant Director Zaldy Perez said that in the first quarter of 2024, the production of the Philippine fisheries industry dropped with a recorded volume of 987,193.69 metric tons (MT), which is 0.52% lower than the previous year’s 992,334.28 MT. The observed decline resulted in a decrease of 5,140.59 MT in the volume of locally caught and produced fish.

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The decrease in the sector’s total production is the result of the 8.69% contraction of the municipal fisheries subsector, which provides the means of livelihood for small fishers.

Amid the increasing demand for fish and the decreasing domestic production, the country has relied on imports to fill the supply gap. BFAR’s mother agency, the Department of Agriculture (DA), had approved last April the importation of 25,000 MT of frozen fish to ensure sufficient supply of the food ahead of the closed-season fishing ban to be imposed in the last quarter of the year.

Yamsuan said the lack of cold storage facilities and reliable means of transport force fisherfolk to resort to turning their products into “daing” or dried fish, instead of storing it in blast freezers and other similar equipment to preserve their quality and extend their shelf life.

He agreed with fellow committee members Batangas Rep. Eric Buhain and ABONO Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella on the need to beef up the implementation of BFAR’s post-harvest programs for the fisheries sector.

In terms of providing scholarships to attract more young Filipinos to take up careers in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, Yamsuan noted that there appears to be few takers, despite BFAR’s program which provides successful applicants with free tuition, a generous monthly stipend, book allowance, monetary support for thesis and research projects, graduation assistance and on-the-job training support.

Perez reported that only 1,384 students so far have been granted scholarships by the bureau. In 2019, out of the 2,354 applicants, only 388 passed the scholarship criteria. In contrast, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) had close to 80,000 applicants for its science and technology scholarship program last year, of which over 9,000 students passed.

Yamsuan suggested that BFAR seek the assistance of the congressional districts with coastal communities and launch an information campaign on social media to target more students interested in the scholarship program.