Our fisheries play a vital role to the physical and economic health of our country. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources reported that for the year 2018, the sector contributed P214.869 billion to the economy and provided employment and livelihood for 1.8 million Filipinos. The average Filipino derives 22.5% of their annual food intake from fishery products – a quarter of their yearly diet. At the same time, however, we’re seeing a drop in local production, with the first quarter of 2020 posting a 3.2% drop in productivity compared to the first quarter of 2019. Our reliance on our fisheries demands that we take care of them and that we keep them productive – but the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to leave the sector in deep water.

Binondo, J. (2020, June 1). In the face of international lockdowns, we need our domestic fisheries more than ever before. Daily Guardian, pp. 8, 10.