Typology and Spatiotemporal Patterns of Illegal Fishing Activities in the Philippines: Implications for Fisheries Management

Abstract

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity is a global threat and continues to undermine the effectiveness of fisheries regulations and management measures. However, the extent of illegal fishing in Philippine waters remains unclear. This study aims to identify the types of illegal fishing in Philippine waters and analyzed their temporal and spatial patterns. Data were obtained from the records of the Philippine Coast Guards (PCG) and Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies from 2015 to 2020. A total of 602 apprehensions were recorded, resulting in 813 violations, of which 630 cases were fishery violations. Most of the watercrafts involved in the fishery violations were small-scale vessels (43.1 %). The largest and second largest age groups for violation individuals were 21-30 years (23.2 %), and 31-40 years (23 %), respectively. At least seven types of fishery violations were identified; an 'invalid fishing vessel permit or license' was the most common violation (35.7 %), followed by 'use of active gear' (27.9 %), and 'use of fine-mesh net' (12.9 %). The annual composition of violation types varied over the six years investigated, with the highest number of cases occurring in 2020 (169 cases, 38.3 %). Fishery violations occurred most commonly in Q3 (July to September; 29.5 %) and between 06:00 and 12:00 (31.7 %), although the differences were not statistically significant. The central region of the Philippines had the highest number of illegal fishing cases (35.4 %), with an 'invalid fishing vessel permit or license' being the most common type of violation (52.0 %) in this region. The violation types varied across regions, with an 'invalid fishing vessel permit or license', 'use of active gear,' and 'use of a fine-mesh net' being the most common types in each region. The factors influencing illegal fishing & horbar;including fisheries overcapacity, inconsistent fisheries regulations (such as inconsistent fines and penalties), and potential effects of environmental variability & horbar;are discussed. Proposed measures for improvements include fishing vessel registration, amended regulations (enforcement and penalties), and enhanced interagency cooperation. This study integrated available data on illegal fishing in the Philippines, and provides substantial information with which the PCG can plan appropriate strategies and enforcement schedule.