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The p e alence o illegal, un epo ed and un egula ed (IUU)
ishing in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines
Shekinah L. Ogoc
*1
, Judy Ann H.
Fe nandez
1
, Angelica M. Da unday
1
,
No lika D. Mo i
1
, Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoi
1
, Ma ia The esa M. Mu ia
2
,
F andel Louis S. Dagoc
1
, A mi G. To es
1
1
Depa men o En i onmen al Science, School o In e disciplina y S u
dies, Mindanao S a e Uni e si y,
Iligan Ins i u e o Technology, Tibanga, Iligan Ci y, Philippines
2Na ional Fishe ies Resea ch and De elopmen Ins i u e, F eshwa e Fishe ies Resea ch and
De elopmen Cen e (NFRDI-FFRDC), Depa men o Ag icul u e, Bu ong, Taal, Ba angas,
Philippines
A icle published on May 08, 2025
Key wo ds:
IUU Fishing, P e alence, SDG 14.4, Sus ainable ishe ies managemen
Abs ac
Illegal, Un epo ed, and Un egula ed (IUU) ishing emains a signi ican challenge o sus ainable ishe ies in he
Philippines, especially a he municipal le el. As o 2023, IUU ishing isk in Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay has
no been e alua ed ye . This s udy assessed o he i s ime he p e alence o IUU ishing in Mabuhay ac oss 16
coas al ba angays using he Philippine IUU Fishing Index and Th ea Assessmen Tool (I-FIT) de eloped by DA-
BFAR and USAID. The IUU ishing p e alence was measu ed using 10 indica o s and a sco ing scale o 1-4 (low-
e y high) wi h a da a quali y sco ing o 1-3 (low-high). The indings o his s udy e ealed ha Mabuhay has a
p e alence sco e o 2.5, indica ing a mode a e isk o IUU ishing, sligh ly lowe han he na ional a e age sco e
o 2.58. The key p e alence ac o s included e y high app ehensions ela i e o he pa olling e o (62.5%),
absence o egula moni o ing o epo ing o ish ca ches, low egis a ion o ishe s (41.3%) and ishing essels
(4.31%), and mos illegal ac i i ies we e coas al habi a -damaging (97.44%). The da a quali y o his assessmen
sco ed 2.2, deno ing medium eliabili y. This s udy ecommends enhancing en o cemen and moni o ing in
high- isk a eas o IUU ishing, inc easing and imp o ing he egis a ion o bo h ishe s and ishing essels,
es ablishing ca ch epo ing and moni o ing sys em, aising awa eness on IUU ishing h ough IEC campaigns,
engaging communi y pa icipa ion, and conduc ing an annual assessmen o IUU ishing o ack changes and
imp o e managemen s a egies o p e en , de e and elimina e IUU ishing in Mabuhay.
*
Co esponding Au ho : Shekinah L. Ogoc sheki[email p o ec ed]suii .edu.ph
Jou nal o Biodi e si y and En i onmen al Sciences (JBES)
ISSN: 2220-6663 (P in ) 2222-3045 (Online)
Vol. 26, No. 5, p. 85-97, 2025
h p://www.innspub.ne
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86 | Ogoc e al.
In oduc ion
Fish is an essen ial sou ce o ood and income o
millions o people wo ldwide, pa icula ly in many
coas al communi ies such as he Philippines (Al a ico
e al., 2021). As one o he op ish-p oducing
coun ies, he Philippines anks 11 h, elying hea ily
on he ich ma ine biodi e si y o suppo ood
secu i y, employmen , and economic de elopmen
(FAO, 2022; Al a ico e al., 2021). Howe e , he
sus ainabili y o hese c ucial esou ces is inc easingly
a isk due o he pe sis en issue o Illegal,
Un epo ed, and Un egula ed (IUU) Fishing
(Mendoza, 2023).
IUU ishing unde mines e o s o conse e ma ine
ecosys ems and manage ish s ocks sus ainably. I
includes ac i i ies ha iola e na ional ishe ies
laws, such as he use o banned ishing gea , ishing
wi hou a pe mi , o ailing o epo ca ches
accu a ely (FAO, 2016).
The challenge o deal wi h IUU ishing in he
Philippines emains a he municipal le el, whe e
local go e nmen uni s o en ace limi ed
en o cemen esou ces, complex ju isdic ional
o e laps, and weak compliance mechanisms (Khan e
al., 2023; Ca nei o and Ma ins, 2022; FMB, 2018).
Despi e na ional e o s o comba IUU ishing, such
as he enac men o he Philippine Fishe ies Code o
1998 (RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654), he
implemen a ion emains une en ac oss
municipali ies.
In line wi h he global goals, Sus ainable
De elopmen Goal (SDG) 14.4 a ge s ha by 2020,
he e should be e ec i e egula ions in ha es ing
and ending o e ishing, illegal, un epo ed, and
un egula ed ishing, and des uc i e ishing p ac ices,
and implemen ing science-based managemen plans,
o es o e ish s ocks sus ainably (DA-BFAR, 2022).
Howe e , he Philippines has ye o mee hese goals
(Uni ed Na ions, n.d.).
As o he 2023 epo , 0% o no assessmen has been
done on IUU ishing in Zamboanga Peninsula (Region
9), while signi ican p og ess has been made in o he
egions: 95% o Region 13, 87% in Region 6, 85% in
Region 3, and 79% in he CAR egion ha e been
e alua ed (DA-BFAR, 2021). This s udy gene ally
aimed o assess he p e alence o IUU ishing in he
municipal wa e s o Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay,
Region 9, Philippines. The assessmen ollowed he
en s anda dized indica o s o he Philippine Illegal,
Un epo ed, and Un egula ed (IUU) Fishing Index
and Th ea Assessmen (I-FIT) Tool de eloped by
DA-BFAR (2022).
Ma e ials and me hods
S udy a ea
Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay is a coas al
municipali y geog aphically loca ed a 7° 25' No h,
122° 50' Eas , on he no heas e n island o Olu anga.
I is a 4 h-class municipali y wi h a o al land a ea o
82.85 squa e kilome e s, wi h 37 390 popula ion. The
municipali y p ima ily elies on ishing, aquacul u e,
and ag icul u e, wi h coas al wa e s spanning
app oxima ely 27,000 hec a es and a sho eline o
65.2 kilome e s. I has 16 coas al ba angays namely:
(1) Abunda, (2) Bangkaw-bangkaw, (3) Cali an, (4)
Ca ipan, (5) Ligaya, (6) Looc-Ba lak, (7) Malinao, (8)
Pamansaan, (9) San Roque (Pinalem), (10) Poblacion,
(11) Punawan, (12) San o Niño, (13) Sawa, (14) Sio on,
(15) Taguisian and (16) Tandu-Como (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1.
Map o he s udy a ea in Mabuhay,
Zamboanga Sibugay
Resea ch design
This s udy u ilized a mixed-me hod app oach
in eg a ing bo h desc ip i e-quali a i e and
quan i a i e esea ch o assess he p e alence o IUU
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87 | Ogoc e al.
ishing in he municipal wa e s o Mabuhay,
Zamboanga Sibugay.
En y p o ocol
E hical conside a ions we e undamen al o his
esea ch due o he sensi i i y o illegal ishing
ac i i ies. In o med consen was ob ained om all
pa icipan s, ensu ing hey we e ully awa e o he
s udy's pu pose, hei igh s as esponden s, and hei
olun a y pa icipa ion. E hical guidelines o
esea ch in ol ing ulne able popula ions we e
s ic ly adhe ed o, and he cul u al sensi i i ies o he
s udy a ea we e espec ed.
Be o e da a collec ion, a o mal le e was submi ed o
he municipal o icials o Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay,
eques ing pe mission and suppo o he s udy.
Cou esy isi s o he mayo and ba angay cap ains
h ough he Municipal Ag icul u e O ice (MAO) we e
conduc ed o ensu e he sa e y o he esea che s.
Da a collec ion
Measu emen o p e alence o IUU ishing using he
I-FIT Tool
The esea ch ook place o e h ee mon hs, om
No embe 2024 o Janua y 2025, encompassing 16
coas al ba angays in Mabuhay, Zamboanga
Sibugay. This s udy employed he Philippine IUU
Fishing Index and Th ea Assessmen Tool (I-FIT)
de eloped by DA-BFAR (2022). Based on he
global p e alence ulne abili y esponse
amewo k o IUU ishing. I-FIT is a ool o
measu e IUU ishing isk in municipal wa e s. I
measu es he p e alence o , ulne abili y o, and
esponse o IUU ishing. This s udy only ocused on
assessing he p e alence o IUU ishing in he
municipal wa e s o Mabuhay using 10 indica o s
and di e en me hods o da a collec ion o he I-
FIT wi h sligh modi ica ion (Table 1). The da a
collec ion o his s udy was conduc ed h ough
social su eys, ocus g oup discussions (FGDs), key
in o man in e iews (KIIs), and seconda y da a
analyses wi h ep esen a i es om en o cemen
eams, Philippine Na ional Police, Municipal
Ag icul u e O ice (MAO), people's o ganiza ion,
academe, and NGO (Table 1). I also used a 4-poin
a ing scale, wi h 1 being low, 2 mode a e, 3 high,
and 4 e y high IUU ishing isks (Fig. 2).
Table 1. P e alence measu e indica o s
Indica o s
Me hods/Da a sou ce
P1. Mon hly p esence o illegal ishing ac i i ies in he municipali y in a yea
Seconda y da a/En o cemen eams
P2. Illegal
ishing incidence om emo e sensing
Seconda y da a/Oceana Philippines
P3. Numbe o app ehended iola o s ela i e o pa olling e o s in
seabo ne o o he en o cemen ope a ions
Seconda y da a/En o cemen eams
P4. Regula moni o ing o epo ing
o ish ca ches
Seconda y da a/MAO
P5. Regis a ion and egula ion o ishe s and ishing essels
Seconda y da a/MAO
P6. T end in illegal ishing incidence
Focus g oup discussion/MAO,
En o cemen eams, PO, academe
P7. P esence o epea o ende s
Sec
onda y da a/En o cemen eams
P8. Amoun o ish caugh h ough illegal ishing
Focus g oup discussion/MAO
P9. Risk o coas al habi a damage due o illegal ishing
Focus g oup discussion/MAO,
En o cemen eams, PO, academe
P10. Violence due o illegal ishing
KII/En o cemen eam
GOOD (low)
BAD ( e y high)
Fig. 2.
IUU ishing index a ing
Da a quali y
Each indica o is e alua ed using a da a quali y sco e
anging om 1 o 3, e lec ing he eliabili y and
comple eness o he da a (Fig. 3). A sco e o 1 deno es
low da a quali y, indica ing limi ed eliabili y o
comple eness; a sco e o 2 ep esen s medium da a
quali y, while a sco e o 3 signi ies high da a quali y,
indica ing ha he in o ma ion is bo h eliable and
comp ehensi e. In o ma ion on da a quali y will
guide he local go e nmen uni s in imp o ing hei
da a collec ion and moni o ing.
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Fi
g. 3.
Da a quali y sco e
Popula ion and sample size
A social su ey using pu posi e sampling was
employed o collec da a on he p e alence o illegal,
un epo ed, and un egula ed (IUU) ishing in
Mabuhay coas al wa e s. The esponden s we e
indi iduals engaged in o impac ed by ishing
ac i i ies, including ishe men, ishing essel owne s,
and ish endo s in Mabuhay. Slo in’s o mula below
was used o de e mine he sample size o he social
su ey, ensu ing ep esen a i eness wi h a 5% ma gin
o e o :
1
Whe e,
n = sample size
N = popula ion size
e = ma gin o e o
The popula ion o ishe olk is 1,787. The e o e, he
sample size o his s udy is 327.
Da a analysis
Desc ip i e s a is ical analysis
IUU ishing index sco e
Pa icipan s a ed each indica o on a scale om 1 o
4, and he sco es we e a e aged o de e mine he
alue o each p e alence indica o . The o e all
p e alence sco e was hen calcula ed by aking he
a e age o all 10 indica o s (P1-P10).
Mon hly p esence o illegal ishing ac i i ies in he
municipali y in a yea (P1)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P1 a e p esen ed in
Tables 2 and 3, espec i ely. The mon hly p esence o
illegal ishing was de e mined by ge ing he o al
numbe o mon hs whe e illegal ishing was obse ed
ac oss he o al ba angays, di ided by he o al
numbe o ba angays × 12 mon hs, hen mul iplied by
100 o ge he pe cen age.
Table 2. Mon hly p esence o illegal ishing ac i i ies
in municipali y in a yea (P1)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1
(low)
Less han 5%
2 (Mode a e)
5 o 15%
3 (High)
16% o 25%
4 ( e y high)
G ea e han 25%
Table 3. Da a quali y sco e (P1)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Da a sou ce is econs uc ed (i.e., no
om mon hly mee ings) om a one- ime
wo kshop wi h only selec people o key
in o man s, no pe coas al ba angay.
2 (Medium)
Da a sou ce is econs uc ed om a one
-
ime wo kshop wi h a ep esen a i e pe
ba angay ins ead o mon hly moni o ing
pe ba angay
3 (High)
Da a is om sys ema ically collec ed and
eco ded obse a ions and/o epo s
The o mula is shown below:
% o obse ed illegal ishing mon hs={(To al obse ed
illegal ishing mon hs)/(To al Ba angays-mon hs )} ×
100
Illegal ishing incidence om emo e sensing (P2)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P2 a e p esen ed in
Tables 4 and 5, espec i ely. The eco ded
iola ions om he in usion o comme cial ishing
essels in o Mabuhay’s municipal wa e s we e
de ec ed using emo e sensing da a om Oceana
Philippines.
Table 4. Illegal ishing incidence om emo e
sensing (P2
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Less han 10 (o no sa elli e de ec ion o
po en ial iola ions o 1 yea )
de ec ions pe yea
2 (Mode a e)
10 o 50 de ec ions
pe yea
3 (High)
50 o 100 de ec ions pe yea
4 (Ve y high)
G ea e han 100 de ec ions pe yea
Table 5. Da a quali y sco e (P2)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Da a is om one ype o emo e sensing
sou ce;
2 (Medium)
Da a is om wo emo e sensing
sou ces;
3 (High)
Da a is om mo e han wo di e en
emo e sensing sou ces o da a;
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89 | Ogoc e al.
Numbe o app ehended iola o s ela i e o
pa olling e o s in seabo ne o o he en o cemen
ope a ions (P3)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P3 a e shown in
Tables 6 and 7, espec i ely. This indica o was
measu ed by di iding he numbe o app ehensions
by he o al numbe o pa ols and ope a ions
conduc ed by he en o cemen eams, and exp essed
as a pe cen age.
Table 6. Numbe o app ehended iola o s ela i e
o pa olling e o s in seabo ne o o he
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (low)
Less han 5%
2 (Mode a e)
5% o 15%
3 (High)
16% o 25%
4 ( e y high)
G ea e han 25%
o i no
app ehensions da a and/o numbe o
ope a ions is a ailable.
Table 7. Da a quali y sco e (P3)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Da a sou ce is om pe cep ions only;
2 (Medium)
Da a is om ac ual app ehensions and
ope a ions da a om one law
en o cemen eam;
3 (High)
Da a is om ac ual app ehensions and
ope a ions da a om mul iple ishe ies
law en o cemen eams combined.
Regula moni o ing o epo ing o ish ca ches (P4)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P4 a e p esen ed in
Tables 8 and 9, espec i ely. The da a we e collec ed
om he Municipal Ag icul u e O ice (MAO). The
pe cen age o esiden municipal o comme cial ishe s
who we e epo ing ca ches o MAO was measu ed.
Table 8. Regula moni o ing o epo ing o ish
ca ches (P4)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
A leas
weekly ishe ca ch epo ing
o p oduc ion moni o ing is in place,
wi h mo e han 75% o ishe s
epo ing ca ches o moni o ed o
ca ches
2 (Mode a e)
51% o 75% o ishe s epo ing ca ches
3 (High)
25% o 50% o ishe s epo ing
ca ches
4 (Ve y
high)
Less han 25% o ishe s epo ing o
being moni o ed o ca ches o No
ca ch epo ing o ishe ies p oduc ion
moni o ing by LGU
Table 9. Da a quali y sco e (P4)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
The sco e is based on pe cep ion only
2 (Medium)
The sco e
is based on da a on ca ch o
ishe ies p oduc ion es ima ion da a
3 (High)
Da a is om sys ema ically collec ed and
eco ded obse a ions and/o epo s
Regis a ion and Regula ion o Fishe s and Fishing
Vessels (P5)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P5 a e p esen ed in
Tables 10 and 11, espec i ely. This indica o was only
answe ed by MAO. The pe cen age o local ishe s
and ishing essel egis a ions wi h he MAO was
compu ed. The sco ing he e equi ed ha bo h ishing
essels and ishe olk we e egis e ed wi h he
municipali y. The sco e was de i ed om he lowe
pe cen age o he wo (i.e., ishe o ishing essel
egis a ion).
Table 10. Regis a ion and egula ion o ishe s and
ishing essels (P5)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Mo e han 90% o esiden ishe s and
ishing essels a e egis e ed, and
egis a ion is upda ed pe iodically
(no jus done once)
2 (Mode a e)
51% o 90% o ishe s and ishing
essels a e
egis e ed
3 (High)
Only 25% o 50% o ishe s and ishing
essels a e egis e ed
4 (Ve y high)
Less han 25% o ishe s and ishing
essels a e egis e ed in he
municipali y, O No ishe olk and/o
ishing essel egis a ion is ongoing.
Table 11. Da a quali y sco e (P5)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
The pe cen age is based on pe cep ion
only on he es ima ed o al numbe o
ishe s and ishing essels in he a ea
2 (Medium)
The pe cen age is based on an
in en o y o ishe s and ishing essels
done mo e han 5 yea s ago
3 (High)
The pe cen age is based on an
in en o y o ishe s and ishing essels
done less han 5 yea s ago
T end in illegal ishing incidence (P6)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P6 a e p esen ed in
Tables 12 and 13, espec i ely. The da a o his indica o
we e ga he ed h ough ocus g oup discussions. The
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90 | Ogoc e al.
end o each ype o illegal ishing ac i i y was a ed
based on he yea 2023 e sus he 2024 ends.
Table 12. T end in illegal ishing incidence (P6)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
No change; no mo e o e y ew IUU
ishing inciden s (i.e., a sco e o 1 o
bo h he P1 and P2)
2 (Mode a e)
Mos illegal ishing ac i i ies ha e
dec easing ends
3 (High)
Mixed ends (i.e., some IUU ac i i ies
a e inc easing while o he s a e
dec easing) o no change, bu wi h a
leas a sco e o 2 o mo e o ei he
VBD/yea
4 (Ve y high)
Mos illegal ishing ac i i ies ha e
inc easing ends
Table 13. Da a quali y sco e (P6)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Da a sou ce is om pe cep ion o key
in o man s in a one- ime wo kshop
2 (Medium)
Da a is om mon hly o mo e
equen
acking o illegal ishing occu ences pe
ba angay
3 (High)
Da a is om sys ema ically collec ed and
eco ded obse a ions and/o epo s
and no jus om pe cep ions.
P esence o epea o ende s (P7)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o P6 a e p esen ed in
Tables 14 and 15, espec i ely. Based on he
app ehension eco ds om he en o cemen eams,
he p esence o epea o ende s was de e mined by
checking whe he any essel o iola o app ehended
du ing he assessmen yea was also caugh in
p e ious yea s. I a leas one epea o ende is
con i med, he sco e o his indica o is 4 ( e y high).
Table 14. P esence o epea o ende s (P7)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1
(Low)
No
4 (Ve y high)
Yes
Table 15. Da a quali y sco e (P7)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
No documen ed in o ma ion on
app ehensions (pe cep ion only)
2 (Medium)
Cu en app ehension eco d a ailable
bu no pas eco ded app ehension
da a a ailable (i.e., based only on
ecollec ion o memo y ecall o
ce ain indi iduals)
3 (High)
Sco e is suppo ed by documen ed
mul iple app ehensions o he same
iola o (s)
Amoun o ish caugh h ough illegal ishing (P8)
The sco es o p e alence and da a quali y o
indica o P8 a e shown in Tables 16 and 17,
espec i ely. This indica o was compu ed by ge ing
he annual ca ches o illegal ishe s wi hin he
municipal wa e s o Mabuhay in me ic ons pe
squa e kilome e o municipal wa e annually. The
o mula is p esen ed below:
Es ima ed Annual Ca ch (MT)=Usual Incidence pe
Mon h × Usual Ca ch pe Incidence × 12/1000
Table 16. Amoun o ish caugh h ough illegal
ishing (P8)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
less han
0.25 MT/km
2
2 (Mode a e)
0.25 o 0.5 MT/km
2
3 (High)
0.5 o 1.0 MT/km
2
4 (Ve y high)
g ea e han 1.0 MT/km
2
Table 17. Da a quali y sco e (P8)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Da a sou ce is om pe cep ion o less
han 2 people
2 (Medium)
Da a is om
mo e han 2 people and
pe cep ions de i ed om a sys ema ic
su ey o ocused g oup discussion
3 (High)
Da a is om sys ema ically collec ed and
eco ded obse a ions and/o epo s o
illegal ishing inciden s
Risk o coas al habi a damage due o illegal ishing
(P9)
The p e alence and da a quali y sco es a e shown
in Tables 18 and 19, espec i ely. Fo each ype o
illegal ishing gea , he ex en o habi a damage
pe inciden was a ed 1 o 4 (1 no damage, 4
ex ensi e damage). This indica o was calcula ed
by mul iplying he sum o he usual inciden s and
he a e o he ex en o habi a damage pe
inciden o each illegal ishing ac i i y o gea o
ge he o al damage a ing. To calcula e he %
weigh ed p opo ion o habi a -damaging illegal
ishing inciden s, he o al o all he damage a ings
o 2 o 4 (excluding he a ing o 1) was added and
di ided by he o al damage a ing o e all, hen
mul iplied by 100 as shown in he o mula below:
% Weigh ed P opo ion={(To al Damage Ra ing o
Viola ions)/(To al Damge Ra ing O e all)} × 100
J. Bio. &
En . Sci.
20
25
91 | Ogoc e al.
Table 18. Risk o coas al habi a damage due o
illegal ishing (P9)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
No habi a
-
damaging illegal ishing
2 (Mode a e)
Less han 10% weigh ed p opo ion o
habi a -damaging illegal ishing
inciden s
3 (High)
11% o 50% weigh ed p opo ion o
habi a -damaging illegal ishing
inciden s
4 (Ve y high)
Mo e han 50% weigh ed p opo ion o
habi a -damaging illegal ishing
inciden s
Table 19. Da a quali y sco e (P9)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1
(Low)
Da a sou ce is om pe cep ion o less
han 2 people
2 (Medium)
Da a is om mo e han 2 people, and
pe cep ions de i ed om a sys ema ic
su ey o ocused g oup discussion
3 (High)
Da a is om sys ema ically collec ed and
eco ded obse a ions and/o epo s
Violence due o illegal ishing (P10)
The sco es o p e alence and da a quali y wi h
co esponding desc ip ions o indica o P10 a e shown
in Tables 20 and 21, espec i ely. This indica o was
measu ed based on he occu ence o di ec ha m o
ishe s, law en o cemen pe sonnel, and o he people
om eco ds o epo s, app ehensions, and blo e s.
Gi en he se e i y o he h ea and he e ec o IUU
ishing, he sco e has been mul iplied by 2.
Table 20. Violence due o illegal ishing (P10)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
The e is no pe cei ed h ea o ha m o
people om illegal ishe s
2 (Mode a e)
Yes, he e is a h ea , bu no physical
ha m ye (e.g., illegal ishe s ca y
i ea ms)
3 (High)
Yes, he e ha e been cases o physical
ha m du ing he assessmen yea (s)
co e ed, bu no dea hs
4 (Ve y high)
Yes. Someone was killed du ing he
assessmen yea , which was possibly
ela ed o illegal ishing.
Table 21. Da a quali y sco e (P10)
Sco e
Desc ip ion
1 (Low)
Based on pe cep ions o second
-
hand
knowledge
2 (Medium)
Based on i s
-
hand knowledge o
esponde s/ pa icipan s
3 (High)
Based on o icial eco ds, blo e s,
esol ed cases, o o he
documen a ion
Mapping IUU ishing h ea s
Th ea maps we e de eloped o iden i y he loca ion
and equency o IUU ishing ac i i ies. A colo -coded
sys em was used o classi y iola ions based on hei
equency: blue means uncommon iola ions; yellow
means occasional iola ions; g een means equen
bu limi ed iola ions; and ed means equen and
widesp ead iola ions. Each iola ion ype was
assigned a speci ic code o acili a e analysis and
ep esen a ion in he h ea maps. A code o 1-3
le e s was assigned o e e y illegal ac i i y.
Resul s and discussion
Mon hly p esence o illegal ishing ac i i ies in he
municipali y in a yea (P1)
Illegal ishing ac i i ies we e eco ded in six ou o 16
ba angays (Table 22). The e we e 26 ba angay-
mon hs wi h illegal ishing p esence ac oss all six
ba angays. By di iding 26 ba angay-mon hs by 192
ba angay-mon hs (16 ba angays × 12 mon hs), he
pe cen age o his indica o is 13.54%. This
pe cen age ea ned a sco e o 2, indica ing a mode a e
p e alence o illegal ishing in Mabuhay coas al
wa e s. The da a quali y was om sys ema ically
collec ed and eco ded obse a ions and epo s.
The e o e, i alls unde 3, deno ing high-quali y da a.
Table 22. P esence o illegal ishing
Coas al Ba angay
Mon hs wi h illegal ishing
1. Abunda
0
2.Bangkaw
-
bangkaw
6
3. Cali an
7
4. Ca ipan
0
5. Ligaya
0
6. Looc Ba lac
0
7. Malinao
1
8. Pamansaan
9
9. Poblacion
0
10. Punawan
0
11. Sio on
0
12. San o Niño
0
13. San Roque
0
14. Sawa
0
15. Taguisian
1
16. Tandu
-
Como
2
To al
26
Illegal ishing incidence om emo e sensing (P2)
Sa elli e-based essel moni o ing enhances
si ua ional awa eness and p io i izes en o cemen
e o s whe e hey a e mos needed (K oodsma e al.,
J. Bio. &
En . Sci.
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25
92 | Ogoc e al.
2021). Acco ding o Oceana Philippines, Mabuhay
exhibi ed a signi ican dec ease in de ec ed illegal
ishing essels in 2024 compa ed o 2023, despi e
anking hi d in he p o ince o Zamboanga Sibugay
o he numbe o comme cial ishing essel isi s.
The e we e 11 illegal en ies o comme cial ishing
essels in he municipal wa e s o Mabuhay (Table
23). The indings show ha he p e alence o illegal
ishing in Mabuhay alls unde 10 o 50 de ec ions pe
yea , wi h a p e alence sco e o 2 (mode a e le el).
The da a quali y is 1 (low) as he da a we e collec ed
om a single emo e sensing da a sa elli e.
Table 23. Mon hly illegal ishing incidence om
emo e sensing
Mon hs
Incidence
Janua y
0
Feb ua y
0
Ma ch
1
Ap il
4
May
1
June
0
July
1
Augus
0
Sep embe
0
Oc obe
0
No embe
2
Decembe
2
To al
11
Numbe o app ehended iola o s ela i e o
pa olling e o in seabo ne o o he en o cemen
ope a ions (P3)
Mabuhay has an es ima ed o al o 104 seabo ne
ope a ions conduc ed in 2024, esul ing in 65
app ehended iola o s (Table 24). The a io is 65/ 104
= 0.625 o 62.5 %. This esul is g ea e han 25%,
ga ne ing a sco e o 4 ( e y high isk o IUU ishing).
The e y high p e alence o app ehensions equi es
mo e comp ehensi e s a egies, including be e
communi y engagemen , al e na i e li elihood,
s ic e p osecu ion, no jus a es (FAO, 2016). The
da a quali y sco e is 3 (high) as he da a we e om
eal ope a ions and app ehension epo s om law
en o cemen eams.
Regula moni o ing o epo ing o ish ca ches (P4)
Pauly and Zelle (2016) emphasized ha global
ishe y ca ches a e subs an ially unde epo ed, wi h
Philippine small-scale ishe ies la gely absen om
o icial s a is ics. In Mabuhay, he 2024 assessmen
e ealed no egula and ac i e ish ca ch moni o ing
due o he absence o designa ed ish landing si es,
allowing local ishe s o sell he ca ch di ec ly in o
neighbo ing municipali ies (e.g., Municipali y o
Ma gosa ubig), bypassing any epo ing sys em.
Gi en he si ua ion, his indica o has a sco e o 4,
alling unde he e y high isk o IUU ishing, whe e
less han 25% o ishe s epo hei ca ch, o no
moni o ing happens a all. The da a quali y sco e is 1
(low) based on pe cep ion only.
Table 24. Numbe o app ehended iola o s
Mon hs
App ehended
iola o s
Janua y
8
Feb ua y
2
Ma ch
3
Ap il
10
May
18
June
5
July
11
Augus
1
Sep embe
2
Oc obe
0
No embe
5
Decembe
0
To al
65
Regis a ion and egula ion o ishe s and ishing
essels (P5)
P ope egis a ion o ishe s and essels is
essen ial o e ec i e ishe ies managemen and
he educ ion o IUU ishing (FAO, 2018). Wi hou
his in o ma ion, he au ho i ies ha e no clea
s a ing poin o ack and con ol ishing p essu e
(Sumaila e al., 2019). The ishe egis a ion a e
in Mabuhay was a 41.3%, ou o an es ima ed 1,787
ishe s, 738 we e egis e ed ac oss he 16 coas al
ba angays. Howe e , essel egis a ion is
signi ican ly lowe , a only 4.31%, as ou o he
es ima ed 1,437 boa s, only 62 we e egis e ed.
Since he sco e equi es ha bo h ishe s and ishing
essels a e egis e ed and uses he lowe pe cen age,
Mabuhay ecei es a sco e o 4, a e y high p e alence
o IUU ishing due o he low essel egis a ion a e.
The da a quali y o his indica o is a ed high (3)
because he in en o y o ishe s and ishing essels
was done less han i e yea s ago.
J. Bio. &
En . Sci.
20
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93 | Ogoc e al.
Table 25. T end o illegal ishing
Types illegal ishing
T ends
Hulbo
-
hulbo (Danish seine)
Dec eased
Tapsay
Dec eased
Un egis e ed ishing essel
Dec eased
Fishing wi hou a pe mi
Dec eased
Dumbol (Bobo
ish ap
)
Dec eased
Sinsu o
Dec eased
Comp esso
Dec eased
Likum
-
likom
Dec eased
Ta e
-
a e
Dec eased
T end in illegal ishing incidence (P6)
The analysis o illegal ishing in Mabuhay e ealed
a downwa d end acco ding o he FGD
pa icipan s (Table 25). This decline in ac i i y
esul ed in a mode a e p e alence o IUU ishing
wi h a sco e o 2, meaning mos illegal ishing
ac i i ies ha e dec easing ends. The mode a e
isk sco e signi ies ha despi e he con inued
p esence o illegal ishing, no iceable p og ess has
been made. The da a quali y o his indica o is 1
(low) because he da a sou ce was de i ed om a
one- ime wo kshop.
P esence o epea o ende s (P7)
Based on he app ehension da a om he en o cemen
eams, his s udy con i med he absence o epea
o ende s ac oss all coas al ba angays in Mabuhay
(Table 26). The ze o ecu ence o iola o s in IUU
ishing coming om 6 ou o 16 coas al ba angays
ea ned a sco e o 1 (low). This signi ies ha Mabuhay
has an e ec i e en o cemen and each coas al ba angay
has an ac i e communi y in ol emen be ween ishe olk
and he local go e nmen uni o cu b illegal ishing
(PIDS, 2021; FAO, 2002). In a eas wi h small coas al
communi ies, people usually go back o illegal ishing
due o po e y, which hea ily elies on ishing o su i e
while expec ing ewe ca ches (F iedman e al., 2018).
On he o he hand, some ba angays ha e no epea
o ende s, likely because o a s onge communi y pa ol,
be e eamwo k h ough FARMCs, and mo e ac i e
suppo om he LGU (Pome oy e al., 2017a; Pome oy
e al., 2017b). The da a quali y sco e is 3 (high) because
i is suppo ed by documen ed mul iple eco ds om he
en o cemen eams.
Table 26. P esence o epea o ende s
Illegal ishing
Vicini y
Yes/ No
1.
Hulbo
-
hulbo
Ba angay Pamansaan
No
2.
Hulbo
-
hulbo
Ba angay
Bangkaw
-
bangkaw
No
3.
Hulbo
-
hulbo
Ba angay Cali an
No
4.
Hulbo
-
hulbo
Ba angay Taguisian
No
5.
Ta e
-
a e
Ba angay Pamansaan
No
6.
Tapsay
Ba angay Bangkaw
-
bangkaw
No
7.
Tapsay
Ba angay Pamansaan
No
8.
Tapsay
Ba angay Tandu
-
Como
No
9.
Likum
-
likom
Ba angay Pamansaan
No
10.
Comp esso
Ba angay Bangkaw
-
bangkaw
No
11.
Un egis e ed ishing boa
Ba angay Cali an
No
12.
Un egis e ed ishing boa
Ba angay Bangkaw
-
bangkaw
No
13.
Un egis e ed ishing boa
Ba angay Malinao
No
14.
Fishing wi hou a pe mi
Ba angay Cali an
No
15.
Fishing wi hou a
pe mi
Ba angay Malinao
No
16.
Sinsu o
Ba angay Cali an
No
17.
Dumbol
Ba angay Pamansaan
No
Amoun o ish caugh h ough illegal ishing (P8)
The assessmen conduc ed in 2024 es ima ed ha a o al
o 0.633 me ic ons (MT) o illegal ca ch o igina ed
om he 270 km² municipal wa e s o Mabuhay (Table
27). This esul ed in a ca ch densi y o app oxima ely
0.0023 me ic ons pe squa e kilome e pe yea ,
equi alen o 2.3 kilog ams pe squa e kilome e pe
yea . This alls below he 0.25 MT/km² h eshold,
esul ing in a sco e o 1 (low). The la ges olume o
illegal ishing is a ibu ed o hulbo -hulbo (Danish
Seine), accoun ing o 0.18 me ic ons, p ima ily
conduc ed by ishe s om ou side Mabuhay (speci ically
om Alicia, Ma gosa ubig, and Malangas). The
combined annual illegal ca ch o bo h Mabuhay ishe s
and ou side ishe s is es ima ed a a ound 633
kilog ams, alued a ₱31,650.00 based on he BFAR-se
p ice o ₱50 pe kilog am. The da a quali y o his
indica o is 3 (high) because he da a we e om
sys ema ically collec ed and eco ded epo s o illegal
ishing inciden s.
