Impact on the Sardine Industries: Closed Fishing Season Policy, Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines

Impact on the Sardine Industries: Closed Fishing Season Policy, 

Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines

CITE AS: Narvaez, T., Brillo, B.B., Cornelio, N. & Rola, A.(2018). Impact on the Sardine Industries: Closed Fishing Season Policy, Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 9–22.

Teresita A. Narvaez

Professor

College of Agriculture

Western Mindanao State University

Bing Baltazar C. Brillo

Associate Professor and UP Scientist

Institute for Governance and Rural Development 

College of Public Affairs and Development

University of the Philippines Los Ban͂os 

Email: bbbrillo@yahoo.com; bcbrillo@up.edu.ph

Nizam D. Cornelio

University Research Associate

College of Agriculture

Western Mindanao State University

Agnes C. Rola

Professor and UP Scientist

Institute for Governance and Rural Development 

College of Public Affairs and Development

University of the Philippines Los Ban͂os 

Keywords 

Closed Fishing Season, Philippines, Sardines, Sardine Industry, Zamboanga Peninsula 

Abstract

Since the Philippines is archipelagic with a lot of major fishing grounds of which many are considered ecologically threatened, a closed fishing season is invariably an expected recourse. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior and Local Government enforced a three-month fishing ban in 2011-2014 in Zamboanga Peninsula, intended to conserve the sardine species and sustain the operations of its industries. Since a closed fishing season entails not only benefits but also costs, its expiration in 2014 raised calls to empirically validate its outcome. Premised on the meagre information on the impact of closed fishing season and fishing regulations in the country— this study assesses the effects of the Closed Fishing Season Policy on the sardine fishing and processing sectors by looking into the variation in sardine catch, sardine production and level of employment. Utilising a survey research design, the article contends that the fishing regulation had a favourable impact on the sardine industries; the commercial and municipal fishers grew their sardine catch, and the canning and bottling processors benefited from increasing production and rising number of workers. Sardine catch and production are expected to surpass the previous peaks in volume in the coming years, and the number of workers exceeded the previous highest level prior to the enactment of the closed fishing season. The findings debunk the zero-sum expectations and offer a promising prospect for justifying the continuation of the fishing regulation, the institutionalisation of the Policy, and its adoption in other parts of the country.

1. Introduction

Sardine (sardinella spp) is a key marine fishery resources of the country and the sardine industries are a major sector of the Philippine economy. Zamboanga Peninsula is the capital of sardine production, as the region contributes about 70 percent of the total output of the country in the last decade (PSA 2015, see Figure 1 and Table 1). Its two constituent cities— Zamboanga City and Dipolog City (in Zamboanga Del Norte)— are recognised as the centre of canned sardine processors and bottled sardine processors, respectively. The sardine industries in Zamboanga Peninsula comprise 12 canning factories, 25 active bottled sardine processors, 10 allied fish processors, four tin can manufacturers, 20 commercial fishing operators, 2,046 licensed municipal fishermen and 588 licensed vessels (DTI-9 2013, DTI 2014). The sardine industries employ about 35,000 workers per year (excluding those employed in ancillary industries), disburses about Php 245 million worth of payroll per month (Valerio 2015), and has four industry associations: In-glass Sardines of Dipolog Association (ISDA); Zamboanga City Canners Association (ZCCA), Industrial Group of Zamboanga Inc. (IGZI); and Southern Philippines Association of Deep Sea Fishing (SOPHIL). 

Figure 1. Top sardine producing regions in the Philippines (PSA 2015)

Table 1. Total production volume of sardine by region (in metric tons) 2006-2015 (PSA 2015)

Sardine production in Zamboanga Peninsula has been increasing over the years (see Table 1). But in 2011, the volume of sardine production in the region took a sudden drop from 223,225 (in 2010) to 132,600 metric tons, resulting in a sharp decrease of 41 percent or 90,625 metric tons (PSA 2015, BAS 2014). This unexpected decline raised apprehension among stakeholders on the sustainability of sardine species in the fishing grounds of Zamboanga Peninsula. The sardine industries and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) (i.e., the principal agency looking after fisheries and aquatic resources in the country) were prompted to seriously assess the situation. As a countermeasure, the Joint Department of Agriculture-Department of the Interior and Local Government (DA-DILG) Administrative Order No. 1 series of 2011 (JAO-01 s.2011) or the so-called Closed Fishing Season Policy for Sardines in Zamboanga Peninsula was promulgated on 23 Aug 2011. The fishing regulation is a globally recognised conservation measure for preserving fisheries resources, particularly in controlling overfishing and protecting the species during spawning season (see FAO 1997, Sadovy et al. 2005, Arendse et al. 2007, Hargraves 2011, Cohen et al. 2013, Chimba & Musuka 2014). The Closed Fishing Season Policy is also a sanctioned fishing regulation under the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 or Republic Act [RA] 8550 (see Section 9), the principal law governing fisheries and aquatic resources in the country. A seasonal fishing ban has been put into practice in the Philippines by BFAR since 1989 in the Visayan Sea and adjoining waters covering commercial fishing for sardines, mackerels, and herrings via Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 167. 

The Closed Fishing Season Policy established a conservation area on the fishing grounds of Zamboanga Peninsula where a non-fishing zone for harvesting sardines and other related species was enforced for three months per year for a period of three years starting December 2011 (BFAR 2011a, BFAR 2011b). It covers an area of 13,987 square kilometres comprising portions of East Sulu Sea, Basilan Strait and Sibuguey Bay, and encompassing the western municipal/national waters of Zamboanga Del Norte, the waters bordering south and eastern waters of Zamboanga City and southern part of Zamboanga Sibugay (see Figure 2 and 3). Before the fishing regulation’s expiration in March 2014, DA-DILG Administrative Order No. 1 series of 2011 was promptly supplanted by BFAR Administrative Order Circular No. 255 Series of 2014 (BAC No. 255 s. 2014) extending its effectivity and expanding the coverage area to 22,260.36 square kilometres by including Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. This move is based on preliminary assessments which suggest that the fishing regulation had beneficial impact on sardines and other fish species of Zamboanga Peninsula.

The Closed Fishing Season Policy is intended to protect the species during spawning season, arrest the dwindling fish catch, and sustain the operations of the sardine industries in Zamboanga Peninsula (Brillo et al. 2016). In principle, the fishing regulation offers biological, ecological and industrial benefits (Campos et al. 2003, Mardle et al. 2004, Failler & Pan 2007); as it ensures the conservation of the sardine species and the viability of the whole sardine sector. But a closed fishing season entails not only benefits but costs since the fishing ban means reduced sardines catch and scaled down operations of the industries for three months per year. Under this benefits-costs equation, the expiration of the maiden Closed Fishing Season Policy in 2014 raised calls for validating its impact— that is empirically verifying the consequence and outcome of the fishing regulation, particularly its effect on the economic well-being of the sardine businesses and workers in Zamboanga Peninsula. This issue is underscored by the fact that the empirical evidence (for or against the fishing regulation) is lacking, as only mostly anecdotal attestations currently exist. The predicament is exacerbated by the extant deficiency of literature in closed fishing season regulations in the country, particularly on the aspect of measuring impacts (e.g., see Sanchirico 2000, Béné & Neiland 2006, Evans et al. 2011, Attrill et al. 2012). Thus, predicated on the paucity of empirical studies on the impact of closed fishing season and fishing regulations in the country— this study looks into the effects of the Closed Fishing Season Policy from 2011 to 2014 on the major sardine industries in Zamboanga Peninsula— the sardine processing industry (i.e., canning and bottling processors) and the sardine fishing industry (i.e., commercial and municipal operators). Specifically, it assesses the impact of the fishing regulation by examining the variation in the volume of sardine production and the level of employment in the sardine canning and bottling companies, and the volume of sardine catch in the sardine commercial and municipal fishing operators.

2. Methodology and Methods

The study employs a survey research design in looking into the effects of the Closed Fishing Season Policy on the sardine industries of Zamboanga Peninsula. The sardine industries are defined as comprising of canning factories, bottling companies, municipal and commercial fishing operators. In the survey, 12 canning processors, 20 bottling processors and 14 municipal/commercial fishing operators were evaluated based on the changes in the volume of sardine production, the level of employment, and volume of sardine catch. The workers in the industries were also surveyed; in particular, 30 canning workers, 30 bottling workers and 30 commercial fishing crews were interviewed and identified using tracer methodology. The survey was supplemented by key informant interviews and documentary sources. This step was taken to provide sufficient insights on the sardine processing industry and to better understand the surrounding context of the fishing regulation. The interviewees comprise the key representatives from the sardine industry associations in Zamboanga Peninsula (i.e., SOPHIL for the fishing operators, IGZI for the canning processors, and ISDA for the bottling processors) and the government agencies involved in the Closed Fishing Season Policy (i.e., BFAR and the Local Government Units). The documentary data mostly came from PSA, BFAR, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), SOPHIL and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). The results of the study are outlined as follows: (1) the sardine processing and fishing industries; (2) impact on the volume of sardine catch; (3) impact on the volume of sardine production; (4) effect on the level of employment; and (5) conclusion and implications.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1 The Sardine Processing and Fishing Industries

The sardine canning and bottling companies of Zamboanga Peninsula constitute the sardine processing sector which is currently a PhP 3-billion industry and utilise about 80 percent of the total sardines caught per year in the region (PSA 2015). Zamboanga City is the home of 12 big canning factories; namely: (1) Aquatic Food Manufacturing Corporation; (2) Permex Producer and Exporter Corporation; (3) Big Fish Food Corporation (formerly Mar Fishing Corporation which is the first canning factory in Zamboanga City); (4) Century Pacific Food Corporation (formerly Columbus Seafoods Corporation); (5) Goldstar Seafoods Manufacturing Corporation; (6) Ayala Seafoods Corporation; (7) Mega Fishing Corporation; (8) Southwest Asian Canning Corporation (formerly Asahi Food Manufacturing Incorporated); (9) Universal Canning Corporation; (10) Seacoast Top Choice Food Corporation; (11) Atlantic Food Corporation; and (12) Fortune Group Corporation. The main industry association is IGZI which counts as its members the four biggest canning processors (in terms of average monthly production volume: Permex Producer and Export Corporation [100,000 cases], Universal Canning Corporation [100,000 cases], Ayala Seafoods Corporation [110,000 cases] and Century Pacific Food Corporation [100,000 cases]). All in all, the canning companies have a monthly production volume of 707,700 cases and employing 9,537 workers (see Table 2). Under normal operations, the volume of sardine production is about 4000-5000 cases at 100 cans per case or an equivalent of 400,000-500,000 cans per day. On average, the canning production utilises around 14 million metric tons of fresh sardines a year and operates in two 12-hour cycles with about 500 workers per shift. 

Table 2. Profile of sardine canning processors in Zamboanga City (DTI 2014, Survey 2015)

Zamboanga Del Norte is the home of bottling sardine processors that are mostly medium-sized and/or home-based companies or cooperatives. Among the more well-known sardine bottling producers are Montaño Foods Corporation, Mendoza Industries, Alenter Foods Incorporated, Zaragoza Foods Corporation, Tito Mike’s Food Company and Tita Rosa Food Products. The main industry association is ISDA where 13 bottling processors are members, including Zaragoza Foods Corporation which is the biggest with an average monthly production volume of 57,600 (kilograms) and an average of 90 workers. On the whole, the bottling companies have a monthly production volume of 327,600 kilograms and employing 527 workers (see Table 3).

Table 3. Profile of bottling sardine processors in Zamboanga del Norte (DTI 2014, Survey 2015)

The municipal fishing operators and commercial fishing operators comprise the sardine fishing sector. In the Philippines, the two fishing operators are distinguished by the boat capacity and fishing ground. The municipal fishers use fishing vessels of three gross tons and below and operate within 15 kilometres of the municipal waters; while the commercial fishers use fishing vessels above three gross tons and operate outside 15 kilometres of the municipal waters (see RA 8550). Typically, the municipal operators supply the bottling sardine processors and the commercial operators supply the canning sardine processors. The municipal fishers contribute 12 percent while the commercial fishers account for the lion’s share or 88 percent of the total volume of sardine catch in Zamboanga Peninsula. The sardine catch of municipal fishers mostly goes to Zamboanga Del Norte making up 64 percent while the sardine catch of commercial fishers is heavily concentrated to Zamboanga City with 92 percent (PSA 2015). SOPHIL is the main industry association of the sardine fishing industry where fourteen commercial fishing companies are members. In aggregate, the fishing companies employ around 10,000 workers and have a total of 50 purse seiners (i.e., the mother vessel carrying the fish-catching net) which supply about 80-90 percent of the daily fresh sardine requirements of the 12 canneries in Zamboanga City.

Table 4. SOPHIL member companies and corresponding number of catcher vessels (SOPHIL 2015)

3.2 Impact on the Volume of Sardine Catch

Prior to the closed fishing season, the volume of sardine catch by commercial fishing in Zamboanga City was increasing from 2003 to 2005, decreased in 2006 to 2007 (-23.55 percent and 12.91 percent, respectively), peaked in 2009 to 2010  (197,489.72 metric tons and 197,015.49, respectively), and then significantly dropped in 2011 (-44.80 percent). During the three-year closed fishing season (i.e., 2012 to 2014), the volume of commercial sardine catch posted a slight increase (6.08) in the first year (i.e., 2012). However, the sardine catch unexpectedly decreased (-12.90) in the second year (i.e., 2013), an outcome that puzzled most of the industry stakeholders. In the last year of implementation (i.e., 2014) and in 2015, the sardine catch registered increasing trend (28.74 percent and 12.55 percent, respectively) (see Table 5).

Table 5. Volume and value of commercial sardine catch in Zamboanga City (PSA 2015)

Before the closed fishing season, the volume of sardine catch by municipal fishing in Zamboanga Del Norte was generally increasing (i.e., 2005 to 2015), except in 2006 and 2008 when the volume of catch posted a decline of 23.67 percent and 21.28 percent, respectively. During the three-year fishing season (i.e., 2012 to 2014), the volume of municipal sardine catch posted a consistent increase year by year (33.61 percent, 37.52 percent and 6.68 percent) (see Table 6).

Table 6. Volume and value of municipal sardine catch in Zamboanga Del Norte (PSA 2015)

In general, the trend in the volume of commercial and municipal sardine catch is increasing during and post-fishing ban (see Figure 4). Municipal sardine catch showed a more consistent growth, carrying over in 2015 where it registered the highest figures at 20,191.61 metric tons (see Table 6). Commercial sardine catch, which accounts for 88 percent share of the of the total volume of sardine catch in Zamboanga Peninsula, showed a steady growth (except for the unanticipated dropped in 2013); if sustained, one can expect the commercial sardine catch to surpass its previous volume peaks (i.e., in 2009 and 2010) in the years to come. On the whole, the data on the volume of commercial and municipal sardine catch indicate a favourable reading on the effect of three-month fishing season in improving the sardine catch in the region.

Figure 4. Volume of commercial and municipal sardine catch in Zamboanga Peninsula (PSA 2015)

3.3 Impact on the Volume of Sardine Production

Since 2009 up to the implementation of the closed fishing season in 2011, the sardine canning production in Zamboanga City has been continually increasing (i.e., 91,865.70 metric tons of processed sardines in 2009 to 116,031.60 metric tons in 2011). The production incurred an expected dip in 2012 (i.e., 9,927.9 metric tons [-8.56 percent]) after the initial year of the closed fishing season and an unexpected decrease in 2013 (i.e., 106,103.70 metric tons in 2012 to 100,674.90 metric tons in 2013) following the unanticipated drop (-12.90 percent, see Table 5) in the sardine catch on the same year. Since then, the volume of sardine canning production has been steadily increasing year by year (i.e., 100,674.60 metric tons in 2013; 106,014.60 metric tons in 2014; 110,603.75 metric tons in 2015 [or around 5 percent growth per year]) (see Figure 5). If the trend continues, the volume of canned sardine production is expected to breach the previous peak recorded in 2011 in the coming years.

Figure 5. Volume of canned sardines production in Zamboanga City (ACN 2015)

The average cases produced by the sardine canning companies in Zamboanga City showed that there was a substantial increase of 50 percent prior and post the closed fishing season. In 2008-2010, the average aggregate production in a year is 4,014,613 cases only but in 2012-2015, it surged to 6,015,916 cases. Individually, all of the major sardine canning companies registered significant increase in their average yearly output (see Table 7). Ayala Seafoods Corporation and Mega Fishing Corporation registered the highest canned sardine production with an average of 935,072 cases per year, closely followed by Century Pacific Food Corporation, Permex Producer and Exporter Corporation, and Universal Canning Corporation with an average of 850,065 cases.

Table 7. Average cases produced in a year by sardine canning companies (DTI 2014, Survey 2015)

In initial year of implementation of the closed fishing season, the sardine bottling production in Zamboanga Del Norte suffered a modest dipped in volume from 4,087.70 metric tons in 2011 to 4,042.60 metric tons in 2012. Since then, the volume of sardine bottling production has been consistently increasing year by year. It peaked in 2015 when it reached 4,351.50 metric tons, a figure considerably above the sardine bottling production prior the closed fishing season (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Volume of bottled sardine production in Zamboanga Del Norte (Survey 2015)

The average cases produced by the sardine bottling companies in Zamboanga Del Norte showed an overall increase of 8.23 percent before and after the closed fishing season. In 2008-2010, the average aggregate production in a year is 297,740 cases, and in 2012-2015, it grew to 322,250 cases. Among the major sardine bottling companies, only Monina’s Sardines (from 1,800 cases to 1,350 cases) had a lower volume, six processors maintained the same level, and the rest increased production (see Table 8). Montaño Foods Corporation, Mendoza Industries and Zaragoza Food Products are the top bottling processors, producing 70,800 cases, 68,300 cases and 68,700 cases, respectively. Overall, the data on the volume of canning and bottling sardine production show consistency with the trend in sardine catch as well as give credence to the beneficial effect of the three-year closed fishing season in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Table 8. Average cases produced in a year by sardine bottling companies (Survey 2015)

3.4 Effect on the Level of Employment

Before the implementation of the closed fishing season, the aggregate number of workers in the sardine canning companies has been consistently increasing year by year (i.e., 4,958 in 2008, 6,322 in 2009, 6,895 in 2010 and 7,003 in 2011; see Table 9). After the first year of the closed fishing season, the total number of canning workers dipped to 6,841 in 2012. Afterwards, the aggregate number of workers in sardine canning companies significantly increased each year (i.e., 8,406 in 2013, 9,643 in 2014 and 9,843 in 2015; see Table 9), even surpassing the number of workers employed prior to the enactment of the closed fishing season. This pattern is consistent when comparing the average number of workers hired by sardine canning companies before and during the closed fishing season. The total average number of workers in 2008-2010 is 6,058, which substantially increased to 8,686 (42.39 percent increase) in 2012-2015 (see Table 10). 

Table 9. Number of workers in sardine canning companies (DOLE 2015, Survey 2015)

Table 10. Average number of workers in a year by sardine canning companies (DOLE 2015, Survey 2015)

The aggregate number of workers in the sardine bottling companies in Zamboanga Del Norte is basically constant from 2008 to 2010. It surged during the implementation of the closed fishing season, becoming steady at 457 workers employed and reaching the highest level in 2015 (see Figure 7). The total average number of workers in 2008-2010 is 397, which increased to 457 (15.11 percent increase) in 2012-2014 and 465 in 2015. Summing up, the data on the number of workers suggest a positive effect of the three-year closed fishing season in expanding the employment in the canning and bottling sardine companies of Zamboanga Peninsula.

Figure 7. Aggregate number of workers in the sardine bottling companies (Survey 2015)

4. Conclusion and Implications

On the whole, the study attenuated the existing lacuna in literature by augmenting the meagre data on fishing regulations in the country and by offering empirical evidence on the impact of the three-year Closed Fishing Season Policy on the sardine fishing and processing industries of Zamboanga Peninsula. In particular, the article delineated the fishing regulation’s effect on commercial and municipal fishing operators’ sardine catch, and on sardine canning and bottling companies’ production and level of employment. The conventional proposition is that the closed fishing season has a negative effect on the volume of sardine catch and sardine production as well as on the level of employment among the workers. This has to do with the three-month fishing ban which reduces the period of work to only nine months in a year among the sardine industries. Ironically, the empirical evidence obtained by the study suggests otherwise— the closed fishing season has a favourable impact overall despite the reduction in work period. During and post fishing ban, the commercial and municipal fishing operators exhibited growing volume of sardine catch, and the canning and bottling processors showed increasing volume of production and rising number of workers. The level of employment in the canning and bottling companies exceeded the prior highest level, and the volume of sardine catch and production are expected to surpass the previous peaks in the coming years.

Although viewed favourably, the fishing regulation creates incentive for the sardine fishing operators and sardine processors to increase operation/production to compensate for the work stoppage during the three-month fishing ban. Before the onset of the closed fishing season, the fishing companies usually increase the volume of sardine catch and the processing companies usually stocked up sardines (using storage facilities) to sustain their normal operation level of operations. These predispositions need evaluation since the unhindered operation/production of the sardine industries may defeat the purpose of the conservation measure. The fishing regulation also unexpectedly resulted in an aggregate growth of employment in the canning and bottling companies during and after the closed fishing season. This increase in the number of workers is significant since employment in the sardine industries is a main source of income for many workers. However, this surge of employment does not translate into an increase in the actual pay of the sardine industries’ workers, as their earnings per year are less during the closed fishing season. In addition, the earnings of workers, before and after the closed fishing season, are still way below the per capita poverty threshold (i.e., P10,338) of Zamboanga Peninsula in 2015 (PSA 2015). This information suggests that an adequate safety net programs for individual workers should be an evergreen feature of any closed fishing season regulation in the country.

In closing, the positive effect of the fishing regulation on the sardine fishing and processing industries in Zamboanga Peninsula augurs well for the conservation of the fishery species in the country. The Philippines is archipelagic with numerous major fishing grounds of which many are regarded as ecologically threatened, making a closed fishing season invariably an expected recourse in the years to come. A constant issue in utilising this fishing regulation is the resistance among stakeholders due mainly to the common notion that a closed fishing season has a zero-sum effect on their industry and livelihood. The study’s findings debunk this expectations, as the data suggest otherwise— the closed fishing season practiced in Zamboanga Peninsula had a positive-sum effect to the sardine industries overall. This is a promising prospect for justifying the continuation of the fishing regulation in the region, in precipitating the institutionalisation of the Closed Fishing Season Policy, and in guiding the adoption of the conservation measure in other parts of the country.

Acknowledgements

This research project is funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) through the Socio-Economics Research Division (SERD). Special thanks for the field assistance provided by our collaborating implementing agencies— Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) and Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU).

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