Gill-net Fishing - a marine ecology catastrophe

Over the past several years we here around Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte have been aware that the population of fish has decreased rapidly.

We notice it especially in Lungsodaan and Padre Burgos areas where we scuba dive regularly. Perhaps the best proof of the problem is at the local fish markets; where catch size of all fish has decreased significantly and the large silvery oceanic species, like Tuna, Marlin and Wahoo have all but disappeared.

The major cause of this decline is local fishermen using 10cm gill-nets; which have a disastrous effect on marine ecology.

Net fishing with 10cm gill-nets is allowed under Philippine law for local fishermen registered with Barangay Captain at the Local Government Unit (LGU). Therefore, the problem is not national law enforcement. The problem is the law itself and, more importantly, the failure of local fishermen and governments to understand the effects of their historic fishing practise in today’s marine environment.

Net fishing with 10cm gill-nets removes everything from the sea; small bait, colourful reef fish, and all but the largest pelagic The larger pelagic fish may escape, with the entire gill-net in-tow; but will probably die later from dragging the gill-net until they are exhausted. Even protected species, such as sea-turtles and dolphins, can be swept-up by the nets!

With gill-net fishing removing everything, even juvenile fish, this form of fishing prevents ANY of the fish growing to maturity and reproducing. Lack of reproductive age fish prevents mating, causing a drop in population. The reduced population causes risks for the whole species by making them vulnerable to disease, pollution and climate change.

In addition to reducing the fish population, the nets often drag along the bottom; damaging or breaking the very Coral Reefs which are the critical environment required for a healthy reef-fish population. Just as important is the fact that the reef-fish population is the attraction for the visiting pelagic fish (so revered by the fishermen for sale to local markets). No reef-fish, no pelagic!

Sogod Bay benefits from a number of good-sized Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), where all fishing is banned. These sanctuaries are rich in biodiversity and are doing their job of allowing fish to breed in safety. The fish within the sanctuary act as a lure to larger pelagic fish that come into the bay in order to feed on the smaller reef fish.

Because the fish mostly remain within a sanctuary when young, and because they are not fished-out by fishermen, many are able to reach maturity. Once mature they tend to migrate to other areas around the bay, becoming available for local fishermen to fish-out. Hopefully using sustainable fishing practises!

Regrettably, some local fishermen have been using those devastating gill-nets very close to the shoreline and within the MPA no-fishing "buffer-zone" of 50-meters. With gill-net fishing rampant, the marine population within Sogod Bay is simply not sustainable.

Every week groups of divers have been removing torn gill-nets left strewn across the reef. The torn nets destroy the corals by breaking them or blocking the sun light that the corals need in order to undergo photosynthesis. Corals are vital to the ecology of a reef system, if we have no coral, we have no fish.

Simply put, net-fishing should be totally banned within Sogod Bay and should be replaced with the more sustainable Hook & Line method. Hook & Line fishing is proven to be an perfectly acceptable method of subsistence fishing because it does not remove the smaller and younger fish; allowing fish to reach reproductive age and resulting in more fish being born and developing.

Because of net-fishing, even the protected MPAs in Sogod Bay are presently unable to incubate enough fish to increase the fish population; let alone to allow the fish population to grow enough to sustain current levels of fishing.

If gill-net fishing methods are not soon banned by local Barangay, local municipalities and Provincial Government in a coordinated way, the beautiful Marine Protected Areas will never be able to reach their full potential. As the local population expands, more and more pressure will be put on the local marine environment.

Perhaps the National Fisheries Department cannot enact a country-wide ban on net-fishing, for reasons known only to themselves. But that does not mean that the governments around Sogod Bay cannot act now to expand the number, size and management of Marine Protected Areas and rid the bay of bad fishing practices - before it is too late!

Please stop destructive fishing practices. If we don't have healthy Coral Reefs, well populated with fish, we have no dive resorts - which means no tourism. Tourism is a leading source of spending on local agricultural and craft products, entertainment and employment for the inhabitants of Sogod Bay. Please do your part and speak out against bad fishing practices.