Fishing practices of the small scale fisheries in the selected coastal barangays of Malita, Davao Occidental

Abstract

Small scale fishery is very important in many regions especially in developing countries. Their catches mostly contributed to the food being served in the table of middle to low income family. This study was conducted to identify the different fishing practices, catch composition and volume, fishing gears and the perception of the fishers in certain government restrictions implemented in the municipal waters of Malita, Davao Occidental. The researcher interviewed a total of 60 fishers in two fishing communities of the municipality barangay Tubalan and barangay Fishing Village. Based on the result of the study, majority of the fishers were male at the age bracket of 41-50 years old (Tubalan) and 31-40 years old (Fishing Village) with fishing experience of 1-10 years for Tubalan fishers and 11-20 years for Fishing Village Fishers. Most of the fishing family annual income range from 30,000 to 69,000.00 pesos. Fishers in both barangay spend their time fishing in the municipal waters of Malita and sometimes venture outside the municipal waters but within the Davao Gulf. Fishing practices were mostly passive (line fishing) with mist catch comprising pelagic fish species (scads, Tunas and squids). Fishers in both barangay agree that fishing restriction must be implemented to maintain fish catch and to sustain fish production in the area, fishing practices like blast and cyanide fishing were strongly supported by the fishers to be restricted and they know that implementation of fishing restriction in specific fishing practices is beneficial to them.