By the 21st century, meeting and sustaining food security will become a major concern as population continues to grow and the natural resources, particularly the farmlands and forest, become less productive as before. Statistics indicate that there will be 78 million Filipinos by the year 2000. If population growth rate continues to average 2.3 percent annually, there will not be enough food all by the year 2023. In this light, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plays a major role in ensuring food security over the long term through prudent management of marine resources and development of technology that would sustain such resources.

Quiason, R. L., & Aquino-Quiason, V. (1997, October 22). "Pole-vaulting" a sustainable fisheries industry. Manila Bulletin, pp. SS-1, SS-2.