Fishing Gears and Methods of the Malampaya Sound FISHING GEARS and METHODS of the Benjamin J PHILIPPINES An Approach to Fisheries and . Gonzales Ecosystems Management Benjamin J. Gonzales, Ph.D. , Ph. D . 4 5 FFishing Gears and Methods of the Malampaya Sound Philippines: An Approach to Fisheries and Ecosystems Management ISBN Number: 978-621-95538-2-7 Written by: Benjamin J. Gonzales, Ph.D. Contributors: © Geofrey Aludia / WWF, Eduardo Bolen / WWF, Russell Climaco / WWF, Karl Directo / WWF, Alfredo Guab / WWF, Mavic Matillano / WWF, Jona Miguel / WWF Photos by: © Geofrey Aludia / WWF, Eduardo Bolen / WWF, Nicolas Cegalerba and Joanna Szwemberg, Russell Climaco / WWF, Kymry Delijero, Benjamin Gonzales / WPU, Mavic Matillano / WWF, Jona Miguel / WWF Cover Photos: © Eduardo Bolen / WWF, Nicolas Cegalerba and Joanna Szwemberg / WWF Sketches by: Arthur Batiforra Jr. (except as indicated) Ddesign by: Janine Teng Printed in: Manila, Philipines October 2017 FISHING GEARS and METHODS of the And to PHILIPPINES An Approach to Fisheries and Ecosystems Management 4 5 DEDICATION 4 5 This book is dedicated: To my parents Laling and Mildred. And to my Uncle Ruperto ‘‘Perting”, who supported my love for fishing and fishes. and to my students and non-government organizations, who continuously work for the conservation and management of our coastal and fisheries resources. 5 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgment 8 Foreword 10 Preface 11 Chapter One: Introduction 13 Chapter Two: Fishing Gears and Methods 25 Gear Overview 26 Fishing Gears Found in Malamapaya Sound 36 Nets 36 Gill Nets 36 Push Nets 45 Ring Nets 48 Lift Nets 52 Stop Seine 54 Cover Nets 56 Other Nets 58 Barricades and Traps 60 Fish Corral 60 Pots 64 Miscellaneous Set Traps 72 Hook and Line 74 Hand Line 74 Set Longline 78 Hand Instrument 80 Spear Gun 80 5 Picks 82 4 Hand Catch 84 Chapter Three: The Commercial Species in Malampaya Sound 87 Chapter Four: Gear Seasonality 125 Chapter Five: Maps of Fishing Gear Locations 135 Chapter Six: From the Ecosystems Management Point of View 161 References 170 About the Author 176 ACKNOWLEDGMENT I am deeply indebted to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)- Philippines and its sponsors for supporting and publishing this book. I am also indebted to all the wonderful people who have exchanged and shared ideas with me, thereby contributed to the contents of this book. This book would not have been possible without the dedicated work and support of the following: And finally, to those who do not keep education and knowledge in shelves and in electronic files, but continuously pursue and circulate them to The CEO of WWF-Philippines Jose Angelito M. Palma and his Officers Luz inform and educate the wider audience, and to be used for the well-being of Teresa P. Baskiñas, Perla Chrisma R. Salao, Janine C. Teng and Maria Victoria both human and nature. D. Matillano. Benjamin Jareta Gonzales, Ph.D. The Western Philippines University (WPU), most especially to Dr. Elsa P. Manarpaac, President of WPU, for her continuous support for research and development, including granting the writer permissions to attend meetings on the preparation of this book. The project team composed of Maria Victoria Matillano, Janine Teng, Jona Miguel, Jeofrey Aludia and Russell Climaco for their assistance in project coordination, lay-out, field surveys, and photographs of fishing gears and fish catches. Dr. Mildred J. Gonzales as my manuscript editor and my colleagues Dr. Herminie Palla and Mr. Rodulf Anthony Balisco for the technical reviews of the content of this book, and my staff Sheena Melendez and Karen Madarcos for 5 their office assistance. 4 My daughter Ma. Mojena Gonzales-Plasus and husband Leo Plasus for providing me shelter and conducive environment in writing the main part and final version of this book. And my wife Nazareth and children Johanne, Ma. Mojena, and Seasha who always understand my professional activities and give encouragements to undertake researches and write publications. 8 9 FOREWORD PREFACE We fell in love with Palawan years ago. With the urgency to manage the critical resources and environment of the Malampaya Sound, the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines requested the Everything about it was captivating. Its islands, its wildlife, the people. For us, it author to undertake a second study on the Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) of the is no wonder that, in the recent years, Palawan has been consistently voted one fishing gears in the Malampaya Sound in early 2016 with the purpose of of the most beautiful islands in the world. monitoring the catches of the gears. In the latter part of that year, WWF- Philippines requested the author again to write a book to officially document But there is more to Palawan than what we see in vacation pictures and holiday the gears in the Sound, in the form of a pictorial and annotated guide and use brochures. Little known, there exists in Palawan a unique biodome of bays and information and insights from our previous studies far back year 2001. With inlets called the Malampaya Sound, home to the critically-endangered the support of the Western Philippines University, the author gladly embarked Irrawaddy dolphins. on the writing of this book. With this opportunity, the writer decided to extend the content of the book to the implications on management of fisheries, The Irrawaddy dolphins are an isolated colony of enigmatic marine mammals. Irrawaddy dolphins, and ecosystem of the Sound. There are less than a hundred of these gentle and shy creatures estimated to exist today. Unfortunately, increased fishing activity in the area, particularly the This book is a collation of the different aspects of fishing instruments, devices, use of certain fish traps, has put pressure on the dwindling dolphin population and methods being used in the Malampaya Sound. These devices and methods in Malampaya Sound. If this continues, this number is expected to drop further. describe how, when, where, and what estuarine/marine resources are being This informative book on Fishing Gears and Methods of Malampaya Sound, by exploited in the Sound with reference to the preservation of the integrity of renowned Palaweño marine expert, Dr. Benjamin Gonzales, comes at the best ecosystems and Irrawaddy dolphins in the area. This book also features the time. classification of fishing gears in the Sound, their catches and seasonality, relationships between the gears and the environment, and interactions Through its narrative, this book is able to inform how the local fisherfolk can between fisheries and Irrawaddy dolphins. sustainably co-exist with the Irrawaddy dolphins, and in turn save the species from extinction, through the use of the proper fishing gear. The author approached fisheries, Irrawaddy dolphin conservation, and the 5 environmental management of Malampaya Sound from the point of view 4 of With WWF-Philippines, let us claim stewardship of Malampaya Sound with the knowledge gathered from fishing gears and methods, using the principle Irrawaddy dolphins and together work to ensure their conservation for future “providing the Right Information for the Right Management”. generations. Benjamin Jareta Gonzales, Ph.D. Vicente S. Pérez, Jr Professor Chairman Western Philippines University Asian Conservation Foundation, Inc. Palawan, Philippines 10 11 4 5 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 5 4 12 13 INTRODUCTION The Malampaya Sound is called the “fishing bowl of the food for the community, but also known to dominantly compose Philippines.” It is composed of marine and estuarine waters at the the diet of the Irrawaddy dolphins (WWF 2001; Gonzales and inner and outer portions, respectively, including mangrove Matillano 2008). Stomach content examination by the author of a shorelines, adjacent to tidal wetlands and uplands which support killed dolphin revealed shrimps and squids as major food the wildlife, and home to the infamous and critically endangered consumed by the dolphin. Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris). Fish productivity in the Sound accorded nearly 19% of the total fish production of the Until now, Malampaya Sound continuously provides food and region in 1973 (Estudillo 1987). The same study also showed high source of income to various peoples of Taytay as well as numerous productivity of the Inner Sound in terms of planktons, fish, and sectors of the society, which interact with the Sound. However, fish larvae. due to its image as a source of bounty resources, Malampaya Within the Inner Malampaya Sound, visitors may catch a glimpse of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, a euryhaline slower swimming cousin of the marine dolphins, which has lost much of its swimming habitat and population in the Sound, due to fisheries and incidental catch (Gonzales and Matillano 2008). Likewise, marine turtles are sometimes reported by fishers to enter their fish corrals. The main road offers numerous pull-offs with scenic views of the mangrove shorelines and waters. Paddlers can be 5 treated to spectacular views of Irrawaddy and cabs and its wild- 4 life. Several landing areas are potential spots to allow visitors to go ashore and hike the land trails. Malampaya is known for crustaceans (shrimps and swimming crabs) fisheries, which not only serve as source of income and 14 15 INTRODUCTION Sound continues to attract dwellers, which seemingly caused Sound: Estudillo et al., 1987, Jarabejo 1997; WWF 2001; Gonzales issues on environmental degradation, uncontrolled use of fishing and Matillano 2008; and Whitty 2016; of which references are scarce gears, increase in human population, and Irrawaddy dolphin about fisheries and ecosystems management. conservation. Hence, due to effective and excessive fishing pressure combined with other anthropogenic activities, the future Several strategies are recognized to approach fisheries of the fisheries in the area becomes uncertain. management: Ecosystem Approach in Fisheries Management (EAFM), Community-based Fisheries Management (CBFM), WWF endeavors to conserve Irrawaddy dolphins not only in the Coastal Resource Management (CRM), Integrated Coastal Philippines, but across its geographic distribution (warm coastal Resource Management (ICRM), etc.