More than a hundred fishermen, mostly from Pangasinan province, were out in the West Philippine Sea when Typhoon “Lando” (international name: Koppu) lashed Central and northern Luzon late last month. The sea was calm when the fishermen sailed. But the typhoon unleashed violent winds that wrecked their motorized fishing boats. The fishermen drifted for days in the open sea until they were rescued. The risks taken by fishermen were an indication of how Philippine seas are running out of fish, said Asis Perez, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), during the national summit on participatory governance toward sustainable fisheries held last week in Pasay City.

Sotelo, Y. (2015, November 8). PH seas running out of fish, says BFAR exec. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A20.