Policy interventions to improve the environmental sustainability of the fisheries trade need to be matched by a commitment to improve the conditions of the most marginalized players. The trade in fishery products provides maritime countries like the Philippines with profound human welfare opportunities. In addition to generating more than P200 billion worth of economic activity annually, it makes significant contributions to the livelihoods and food security of millions of Filipinos. Yet, sustaining this vital trade faces immense challenges. Overfishing is rampant, leading to declining fish stocks and falling production levels. Fishers at the extractive ends of the trade obtain limited benefits, with little power to change their status.

To sustain both the ocean and the people. (2016, December 13). Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A12.