The impact of distribution change on fisheries in Southeast Asia: a case study in the Batan Estuary, Aklan, Central Philippines

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the impact of structural changes in the market and distribution of seafood on fisheries in Southeast Asia. We conducted interview surveys with local fishermen, middlemen, and wholesalers in the seafood industry around the Batan Estuary in the Philippines. Results showed that, in the study area, the number of fishermen and amount of fishing gear rapidly increased between 1985 and 1995. Most of the new entrants paid for fishing gear by using savings which they earned in other industries or via loans from local middlemen. Such investment was driven by the high profitability of the fishery, which was caused by increases in fish prices resulting from the establishment of new methods of distribution, which connected the local area to domestic and international markets. It is thought that the establishment of new methods of distribution is a key factor in transforming the structure of local fisheries, and that the management of small-scale fisheries in developing countries requires not only the management of the fisheries themselves, but the management of their markets and distribution as well.