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JSPES,
Vol. 43, No. 3-4 (Fall-Winter 2018)
pp. 294-315
Aquaculture, Poverty and Environment in the
Philippines
Rosalina Palanca-Tan
Department of
Economics, Ateneo de Manila University
Open access in Philippine fisheries has induced overfishing,
which in turn has resulted in declining catch. Aquaculture makes
up for the diminishing open fishing output and hence provides
for the increasing food (specifically protein) requirements of
the growing population. Aquaculture also generates foreign
exchange for the country as two major exports, seaweeds and
shrimps, are grown in aquaculture farms. On the micro level,
aquaculture potentially has a role in poverty alleviation by
providing an alternative to municipal fishing and a
supplementary source of income to rural and even semi-urban poor
communities. Aquaculture, however, can also inflict damage on
the environment. Intensive methods that involve the use of
artificial feeds, fertilizers and pesticides, and the practice
of excessive feeding to accelerate fish growth, result in
pollution of adjacent water bodies. This paper surveys the
different aquaculture environment and production systems in the
Philippines with respect to their impact on poverty alleviation
and the environment. There is evidence that seaweed farming and
small-scale freshwater fishpond and fish cages and pens have
provided low-income communities with primary and secondary means
of livelihood and hence helped improved their economic
conditions. Certain aquaculture operations such as seaweed
farming and fish farming in Laguna Lake do not require
artificial fertilizers and feeds and hence are generally
environment-friendly. Incentives must therefore be more directed
to these aquaculture production systems that are poverty
alleviating and causing less environmental concerns.
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