Small-scale fisheries (SSF) management and conservation schemes and their application in the Philippines

To reach balance and harmony, current demand, growth, and sustainability, there is a need to include economic, social, cultural, and biological principles for a holistic approach in fisheries management. However, despite the combined efforts, severe challenges still threaten the sustainability of small-scale fisheries in the Philippines. This study carried out a systematic review of the literature published from 1998 to 2021 in the Philippines. This timeframe was selected to align with the implementation of the Philippines Fisheries Code of 1998 (Republic Act 8550) and its subsequent amendment as Republic Act 10654 in 2015, which legally recognized sustainable fisheries by local governments from 1998 onwards. The literature search came out with a total of 775 articles from Web of Science and 345 from SCOPUS, after duplicates were removed, 207 literature were included in the synthesis. The main issues that came out are on fishing, reef, livelihood, catch and protected areas. In the Philippines, the reliance of fishers on their livelihood remains a limiting factor in the effectiveness of management plans as pressure from the increasing population of highly fishery-dependent coastal communities, food insecurity, and catch demand can render tactics ineffective. The root issues are larger and systemic, but stem from a lack of sustainable financing to support the viability of established fishery management schemes. Marine conservation programs require consideration of the economic impacts and creating alternatives to diversify income sources so that other larger drivers of unsustainable fisheries can be addressed.