Sharing Fish: The Philippine Experience

Straddling and highly migratory fish such as tuna are the subject of immense interest from countries like the Philippines, whose populations are highly dependent on the oceans for both sustenance and livelihood. As these fish are transboundary by nature, they are deemed as “shared resources” that need to be cooperatively managed by country stakeholders in order to safeguard against depletion. This is the primary reason for the increasing number of international fisheries agreements as well as in the sudden prominence of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMO s). In that context, this article presents and analyzes the domestic drivers as well as the various international legal considerations that helped shape the current Philippine framework for the governance of shared fish, and reflects on how the twin goals of consumption/exploitation and conservation figure in the country’s fisheries policy.