| Popis: |
The Philippines has long been ranked among the top fish producing countries in the world, with fisheries a strategically important sector for both food security and livelihoods. However, the livelihood and food security related benefits of Philippine fisheries have been dissipating through time due to the overexploitation of marine resources and declines in aquaculture production. Recognising that seafood is an excellent source of energy, protein, and vital nutrients for human health, this study was commissioned by Oceana to 1) determine the role of Philippine fisheries in terms of food security and livelihoods (income and employment), both at a national and regional scale; 2) assess future risks to food security and livelihoods in the Philippines; and 3) provide advice to Oceana on policy options to strengthen the contribution of fish in nutrition systems in the face of ecosystem change. To achieve this, we first provide a brief socio-economic profile of the Philippines and then assess the role of the Philippine commercial, municipal (marine and inland), and aquaculture sectors in terms of their contribution to livelihoods and food security at both a national and regional level. By consolidating available information from national government reports and datasets, studies from the peer-reviewed literature, grey-literature reports, and importantly, data collected by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) from 163,235 individuals (41,204 households) distributed throughout the Philippines in 2018-19, we ensured the best available data was used to generate contribution estimates of each sector and target/ culture species to food security and livelihoods. Caveats and inconsistencies among these data sources are discussed throughout the report and knowledge gaps in our understanding of the role of fish in nutrition systems in the Philippines were identified as opportunities for future research. Key threats to fish in nutrition systems and policy advice to ensure the continued contribution of Philippine fisheries to livelihoods and food security became clear during the consolidation of data leading to estimates of sector and species contributions to livelihoods and food security. These are reported and discussed within our report in order of perceived priority. |
