Climate effects on small pelagic fisheries: Production variability, vulnerability
and adaptive capacity of fishing communities in Northern Zamboanga
Peninsula, Philippines
Asuncion B. De Guzman*, Jerry P. Garcia, Juliet H. Madula,
Cesaria R. Jimenez and Melrose H. Flores
Mindanao State University at Naawan
Naawan, Misamis Oriental
sonydeguzman@gmail.com
Abstract
Climate change can have profound impacts on fisheries production and livelihood of
coastal communities of Southeast Asia. The potential effect of changing climate on coastal
fisheries production and the vulnerability and local adaptive capacity of fishing communities
was evaluated in a major fishing ground in Mindanao, southern Philippines. Climate
variability was shown to influence the production of small pelagic fish in northern
Zamboanga peninsula (NZP) in the eastern Sulu Sea where a major upwelling zone drives
abundant sardine fisheries and a multi-million postharvest industry. Highly seasonal
abundance of sardine and other small pelagic fish in NZP with peaks during the northeast
monsoon (November-April) is primarily driven by upwelling, resulting in elevated
chlorophyll levels and abundant planktonic food. Inter-annual variations in sardine
abundance in NZP are shown to be influenced by ENSO, where El Niño episodes trigger
strong upwelling while La Niña weakens upwelling leading to reduced food availability for
recruiting fish. Vulnerability assessment shows that coastal ecosystems and fisheries, and
socio-economic condition of fishing communities are highly vulnerable to adverse climatic
changes. Filipino fishers on the other hand, are well known for their ingenuity, creating ever
new modifications of fishing gears, gear shifts, investment in cottage-level postharvest
industry in order to maintain incomes.
Keywords:
Small pelagic fisheries, climate change, upwelling, regime shifts, vulnerability
assessment
Introduction
The Philippines is an archipelagic nation endowed with extraordinary marine
biodiversity and abundant fisheries that provide an important source of food and income for
millions of municipal and industrial-scale fishers. The small pelagic fisheries comprise an
important segment of the country’s fisheries industry and is considered the main source of
inexpensive animal protein for lower-income groups in the Philippines (FAO 2005). Small
pelagic fish are abundant in areas of high primary productivity, such as upwelling zones or in
bays receiving large nutrient input from land through major river systems (Checkley, et al.
2010).
Climate-related factors - increasing sea surface temperatures, sea level rise, increased
storminess and increased frequency of El Niño-La Niña events - are expected to have
profound effects on marine biodiversity and fisheries (Capili et al. 2005; Brander 2006;
Allison et al. 2009). One of the poorly understood impacts of climate change is the effect of
climate variability on small pelagic fish, their ecosystems, and their fisheries. Large shoals of
small pelagic fish are particularly abundant in coastal upwelling regions but stocks are known
to be fluctuating over decadal timescales (Checkley, et al. 2010). Small pelagic fish, such as
sardines, are excellent indicators of climate variability due to their short lifespans, high
growth and recruitment rates, and lower trophic position (Peck et al. 2010). Reports have
linked the large variabilities in fish stocks to Pacific Decadal Oscillations (PDO) which
induce regime shifts between sardine and anchovy populations in the Pacific Ocean (Chavez
et al. 2003).
Small pelagic fish (SPF) populations in upwelling areas are especially vulnerable to
changes in climate and oceanographic patterns which regulate primary production and
availability of planktonic food.
Changes in climate, therefore, can induce spatial and
temporal variations in coastal fisheries production and impact fisheries-dependent
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livelihoods. Interannual or interdecadal fluctuations in population levels of early juvenile
stages of fish is highly dependent on prey availability (Peck et al. 2010) which could be
influenced by climate variability. The potential effects of future climate change, both natural
and anthropogenic, on fish stocks and fisheries need to be evaluated through continued
research
and long term assessment of fisheries production in order to best inform
management and policy under a changing climate. Understanding the way in which climate
change may affect decadal and shorter time scale variability is therefore essential in
predicting future climate impacts on marine ecosystems and fisheries.
In the Philippines, one of three major upwelling areas is found off Dipolog Strait and
Sindangan Bay in the northern Zamboanga peninsula (NZP) in the eastern Sulu Sea (Villanoy
et al. 2011). This upwelling system drives high productivity that supports small pelagic fish
dependent on zooplankton abundance as primary food source. Sardine is the most abundant
small pelagic fish in the NZP and large annual catches have triggered the growth of sardine
postharvest industry particularly of the in-glass sardine which is a popular, multimillion
export business. Changes in upwelling strength and their consequent effect on primary
productivity in the NZP, for example, will potentially impact the sardine industry in the
region.
Climate change is an additional pressure on fish stocks, on top of fishing pressure,
loss of habitat, degrading water quality and biodiversity loss. On top of these climate
scenarios is the fact that most of the nearshore fisheries of the Philippines are already
overfished (De Guzman 2004) with fishing effort beyond sustainable levels and the ocean’s
carrying capacity. Expected climate-driven impacts and overfishing (Fig. 1) may work in
synergy to threaten fisheries productivity and the sustainability of coastal livelihoods (De
Guzman et al. 2012). The impact of climate change, therefore, must be evaluated in the
context of other human-induced pressures, which often have a much greater and more
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immediate effect. On the other hand, it is evident that fish stocks will be more resilient to
climate impacts if the stresses due to overfishing and other factors are minimized (Brander
2006).
Climate changes may affect fisheries in two ways: directly by influencing fish stocks and
the global supply of fish for human consumption, or indirectly by influencing fish prices or
the cost of inputs to fishing (WorldFish Center 2007). The livelihoods of millions of
artisanal small-scale fishers in fisheries-dependent communities in poorer economies stand to
be the most vulnerable to extreme changes in climate. Measures to increase resilience and
adaptive capacity of coastal communities in the face of changing climate should be at the
core of management policy.
Coastal communities and local governments must increase
their adaptive capacity to protect livelihood, sustain food availability, and prevent rising
poverty in vulnerable areas. A climate research program funded by the Philippine
government called “Remote Sensing Information for Living Environments and Nation-wide
Tools for Sentinel Ecosystems in our Archipelagic Seas (RESILIENT SEAS) Program for
Climate Change” or RESILIENT SEAS program developed a framework for assessing
fisheries vulnerability by integrating climate change scenarios with vulnerability components
of the fisheries ecosystem (Fig. 2). A component of this program evaluated the vulnerability
of nearshore fisheries and coastal livelihoods in the NZP to climate change and the local
adaptive capacity or resilience of fisherfolk in the midst of a variable fisheries system.
Vulnerability or susceptibility to the impacts of climate change, as defined by the
Intergovernmental Panel for climate Change (IPCC), is considered a function of exposure,
sensitivity, and adaptive capacity (IPCC 2001).
Methods
Monitoring of landed catch of sardine and other pelagic fish by various gears involved
in both commercial and municipal fisheries in the NZP (Fig. 3) was carried out between May
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2009 and June 2011. Data from dockside surveys were extrapolated to obtain estimates of
total fisheries production and net fisher incomes for each bay. Monthly length-frequency and
gonadal maturity data on dominant sardine species were obtained to determine the size
structure and spawning patterns.
Satellite data on sea surface temperature (SST) and
chlorophyll levels were obtained from various databases, such as the Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and GES DISC Interactive Online Visualization and
Analysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) of the United States of America, while average rainfall data were derived from
precipitation estimates of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Other relevant
climate variables were obtained by another project under RESILIENT SEAS program to
describe annual and
inter-annual variability in upwelling in the Zamboanga Peninsula
(Villanoy et al, 2011) and to establish links between climate variability and patterns of
sardine fisheries production.
A vulnerability assessment (VA) tool for coastal ecosystems partly developed under
the RESILIENT SEAS program (MERF 2013) was used in evaluating the vulnerability of
the NZP fishery system to climate scenarios of increasing sea surface temperature, strong
wave action and storm surge. A component of this tool kit is the Integrated Sensitivity,
Exposure, and Adaptive Capacity for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool (I-CSEA-CChange) was used to provide a synoptic assessment of impacts of climate change on
biodiversity, coastal integrity and fisheries (Licuanan et al. 2013). Another component is the
Tool for Understanding Resilience of Fisheries (TURF) which was used to describe the
degree of fisheries vulnerability in three sites in NZP by integrating three sub-components of
coastal fisheries, ecosystem features and socio-economic attributes (Mamauag et al. 2013).
Both tools were applied in evaluating vulnerability of the coastal fisheries in three
5|Page
municipalities along the NZP using a diverse set of scoring rubric or rating scale to determine
whether the area’s climate vulnerability is low, medium or high (MERF 2013).
Results and Discussion
Climate-driven variations in Sardine fisheries production
As in most fishing grounds in the Philippines and most of Asia, the capture fishery
along the northern Zamboanga Peninsula is a multigear, multispecies industry (De Guzman et
al. 2012), involving at least 10 municipal and two commercial gear types that exploit small
pelagic fish (SPF) resources. Landed catch data collected over two years (May 2009 to June
2011) showed that small pelagic fish comprised more than 80% of nearshore fisheries
production from the northern Zamboanga peninsula which amounted to 72,033 mt. The most
abundant SPF resources during this period (Fig. 4) were sardines (43.8%), bullet mackerel
(18.0%), roundscad (17.9%), big-eye scad (6.8%) and Indian mackerel (3.7%). Estimates of
average catch rates showed that commercial ring net (3,393 kg/trip) and bag net (208 kg/trip)
were the most efficient gears in the small pelagic fishery of NZP, contributing 70.8% to
landed SPF catch for the period .
Sardines form a large part (43.87%) of the small pelagic fisheries production in the
NZP during the period 2009-2011, dominated by the Bali sardine Sardinella lemuru (Fig. 5).
Monthly catch profile of sardines in Fig. 6 shows that production was highly variable, with
peaks occurring around the northeast monsoon (November-April). A curious pattern of interannual variation was observed in the sardine production in the NZP over the two-year period.
Mean catch from May to December 2009 was extremely low but was higher in January-April
2010, then increased sharply in January to June 2011 (Fig. 7).
The spike in sardine
production observed between April and May 2011 was largely attributed to the concentration
of commercial fishing effort on the phenomenal sardine abundance in that year.
The
6|Page
observed trends in sardine catch corresponded well with the pattern of juvenile catch (Fig. 6)
whose appearance in the area coincided with plentiful food during the northeast monsoon
(NEM). Gonadal maturity and consequent spawning in sardines peak between October and
December in the NZP, contributing to juvenile recruitment between December and February
each year (Fig. 6).
Seasonality in sardine production in NZP is a function of primary productivity and
planktonic food availability that is primarily driven by coastal upwelling (Villanoy et al.
2011). Stronger winds and cooler temperatures during the NEM can enhance convective
mixing resulting in elevated chlorophyll signals in many fishing grounds around the country
as seen from satellite ocean color data (Penaflor et al., 2007 cited in Villanoy et al. 2011).
Sea surface temperature data between 2009 and 2011 overlaid on chl a data obtained from
MODIS (Fig. 8) showed a significant inverse correlation (r = -0.71), indicating that upwelling
of cold, nutrient-rich water in northern Zamboanga triggered abundant planktonic food (De
Guzman et al. 2012). Chlorophyll values were significantly higher during the 2010 NEM
upwelling period (January-March 2010) than in the 2011 NEM season (January-March
2011). Villanoy et al. (2011) observe that during upwelling months (NEM), sea surface
temperature close to the Dipolog-Sindangan coast is about 1°C cooler than waters farther
offshore (Fig. 9). The correlation was more apparent during periods of strong ENSO events
(e.g. 1997-1998 El Niño). Elevated chlorophyll along the Zamboanga shelf during NEM
extends out to more than 50km from the coast (Villanoy et al. 2011), inducing high sardine
recruitment during the first quarter of the year.
Upwelling trophic dynamics, on the other hand, also exhibited interannual variations
in the NZP as influenced by episodic El Niño-La Niña Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
(Villanoy et al. 2011).
Anecdotal accounts from fishers in Dipolog and Sindangan bays
described a phenomenal decline in the abundance of the Bali sardine in 2008 and 2009 which
7|Page
coincided with the collapse of chlorophyll during the 2007/2008 La Niña episode (Villanoy et
al. 2011). Apparently heavy rains during La Niña create a stratification of low salinity water
over a high salinity layer, creating a barrier for upwelling to occur, resulting in low plankton
abundance and recruitment failure in sardine. The dramatic peak in sardine production during
the 2011 NEM season despite the lower chl level can be the result of successful spawning and
juvenile recruitment by the earlier cohorts of the sardine stock. Being plankton-feeders the
timing of spawning or recruitment of sardine is critical and must coincide with food
availability during the NEM. This would explain why sardine production was virtually nil
during the southwest monsoon (SWM) when chl a was low. Historical data (1998-2009) on
sardine fisheries production in Zamboanga del Norte from the BAS online database show
episodic ENSO influence on variability of sardine production (Fig. 10), with higher
production during El Niño and lower production during La Niña episodes.
Economics of Small Pelagics Fishery, Overfishing,
and Livelihood Sustainability
Overfishing is a persistent issue in Philippine capture fisheries despite numerous
policies for sustainable exploitation of fishery resources. High and unregulated fishing effort,
ingenious gear modifications and indiscriminate fishing behavior contrive to render SPF
among the most overfished ocean resources. An estimate of more than 14,000 municipal and
1,700 commercial fishers from two cities and eight municipalities comprised the total fishing
effort in the NZP during the 2009-2011 period. Commercial fishing operations continue to
encroach into municipal fishing grounds in clear violation of national policy (RA 8550 or the
Philippine Fisheries Code) prohibiting commercial fishing within 15 km of the shore.
Another overriding management concern in the NZP is the persistent practice of
fishing on juvenile sardine (locally called lupoy) which supports cottage-level fish paste
industry. Juvenile sardine catch mostly come from landings of fine mesh net, such as scoop
8|Page
net and commercial bagnet operating in nearshore waters of Sindangan Bay and neighboring
areas. Catching juvenile sardine is a clear case of ‘growth overfishing’ and is already
considered illegal in Dipolog and Dapitan City but no such restriction is being imposed in
other coastal municipalities in NZP.
Estimates of catch rates and net income per fishing trip derived by fishers vary widely
across gear types (Table 1), depending on the crew size and income sharing scheme practiced
in each area. Municipal fishing gears generally generate low or marginal incomes. Once the
cost of fuel and other fishing expenses are removed, small scale fishers in NZP take home
less than Php200 daily, except when fishing for tuna and other large pelagic fish from which
they can earn from Php600-1,950 per fishing trip. Commercial fishing operations within the
municipal waters of NZP may not be as lucrative as expected, contingent, of course, on the
season and quality of fish. With higher catch rates (mean of 3,393 kg/trip) ring nets can earn
an average of Php41,304 per fishing day. Net profits can increase when instead of sardine, the
dominant catch is made up of
mackerel, bigeye scad and roundscad which are priced
between Php70-100 per kg. Regular price of sardine during low production periods range
from Php30-40 per kg, however, the prices can drop to as low as Php5-10 per kg during the
sardine season. Since most fishing operations are often restricted to municipal waters total
fishing costs tend to be small even After removing fishing costs and the owners’ share (which
can reach 50%) of the profits, the individual net fisher income from one fishing trip can range
from as low as Php235 (bag net) to Php1,488 (ring net). Commercial fishing operations,
therefore, are lucrative for the boat and gear owner but sometimes not for the crew.
Lack of fishing effort regulation in most municipalities culminate in an annual
‘fishing frenzy’ which rakes in large surplus catch that fishers are forced to sell at giveaway
prices, and thus, generate lower revenues for both commercial and municipal fishers. The
presence of several bottled (or in-glass) sardine manufacturers and fish traders in the area
9|Page
cannot absorb such surplus production during the sardine peaks. This traditional
concentration of fishing effort in an opportunistic, ‘open access’ regime seems counterproductive, driven by the need of fishers to jump into the fishing bandwagon that ultimately
reduces the average net profits for everyone. The prevailing practice of unregulated catch also
results in wastage and economic inefficiency as some commercial fishers, unable to sell large
surplus catches, dump them into the sea. Improving economic efficiency of a complex fishery
system such as the SPF fisheries in the NZP requires a combination of management options
to either control fishing effort and regulate catches, or invest in more postharvest facilities to
absorb surplus catch.
Vulnerability of Coastal Fisheries and
Local Adaptive Capacity
Climate impacts on coastal ecosystems and fisheries are complex and synergistic
(Licuanan et al. 2013), thus, vulnerability assessment of these systems must be undertaken in
an integrated manner using appropriate tools. The major existing natural forcing factor in
the coastal fisheries of NZP is the differential influence of monsoons. Fishing along the
Dipolog-Sindangan Bay is driven by high production during the NEM, which triggers
nutrient upwelling and drives up productivity, but is limited by a strong SWM that renders
fishing in offshore areas perilous. Wind-induced wave exposure, therefore, is an appropriate
climate change scenario along the coast of the NZP and was used to evaluate climate change
sensitivity of three coastal municipalities (Dipolog City, Sindangan, and Leon B. Postigo).
Results of coastal VA using the IC-SEA-CC tool indicate moderate vulnerability of
the three sites to wind-induced wave action or storm surges (Table 2). All three sites,
particularly Dipolog City, exhibit high exposure to storm surge and coastal erosion because
of wide beaches and the absence of fringing coastal forest, although Sindangan and Leon B.
Postigo have moderate sensitivity because of higher coral cover in scattered submerged
10 | P a g e
reefs. However, more detailed assessment using TURF found that the coastal ecosystems
and fisheries along Dipolog-Sindangan Bay are highly vulnerable to typhoon-induced wave
action (Table 3). Likewise, the socio-economic condition of coastal communities are highly
vulnerable, especially around population centers such as Dipolog City. Northern Zamboanga
fishers are largely dependent on small pelagic fisheries which make up more than 80% of
fish production in the province. Since all three sites have limited coral reef, seagrass, and
mangrove habitats these fishers have little option to fish on demersal fish resources. The
dependence of
coastal communities in NZP on coastal fisheries makes them highly
vulnerable to extreme effects of climate change. Nearshore fisheries already threatened by
overfishing can be significantly affected by climate-driven interdecadal variations in fisheries
production, even in upwelling-supported system of NZP.
The scenario might be bleak for low-capital, artisanal fishers dependent on small
pelagic fisheries. On the other hand, Filipino fishers are well known for their ingenuity,
creating ever new modifications of fishing gears to target particular species of fish. Filipino
fishers on the other hand, are well known for their ingenuity, creating ever new modifications
of fishing gears, gear shifts, investment in cottage-level postharvest industry in order to
maintain incomes. Most fishers have the innate ability to make adjustments in, or adapt to,
changes in their prevailing conditions.
Vulnerability assessment showed that the three municipalities in northern Zamboanga
have moderate adaptive capacity to deal with climate-induced changes in fisheries
production.
In Dipolog-Sindangan Bay, fishers adopt the following measures to cope with
both temporal and spatial variability in fish stock abundance:

During the sardine season, fishers concentrate effort on the use of gears that allow
them maximum catch, such as ring net, bag net, drift gillnet, and beach seine.
11 | P a g e

During off-sardine season, fishers take out gillnets of bigger mesh or handlines to
target other SPF abundant during the period.

In Dipolog City, several fishing households have taken to fish drying as a support
livelihood in times of abundant fish, contributing to development of local
postharvest industry.

Sardine postharvest entrepreneurs in Dipolog City and Sindangan Bay maximize
bottling of sardine during the season to store up supply for the rest of the year;
companies with bigger raw material requirement buy sardine from as far as
Zamboanga City when stocks inside NZP dwindle.
The above adaptive mechanisms, however¸ are contingent on the constant supply,
albeit seasonal and spatially variable, of fish from the ocean. On the other hand, nearshore
fisheries already threatened by overfishing can be significantly affected by climate-driven
interdecadal variations in productivity. National and local government agencies needs to
study further the climate-fisheries linkages to inform policy and resource management
programs on improving local adaptive capacity for dealing with climate change impacts on
the economy and environment.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Frequent typhoons and accompanying high rainfall, strong storm surges, and wave
action can have severe negative impacts on coastal ecosystems, such as flooding, erosion and
infrastructure damage. On top of these natural forces are major anthropogenic forcing factors
such as overfishing, destructive and illegal fishing, mangrove harvesting, habitat conversion,
and downstream impacts of mining and deforestation. Vulnerability assessment had shown
that coastal communities and their fishery-dependent livelihoods are vulnerable to increased
storminess and storm surges.
12 | P a g e
National and local government agencies need to study further the climate-fisheries
linkages to inform policy and resource management programs on improving local adaptive
capacity for dealing with climate change impacts on the economy and environment. The
Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is making headway in
management of sardine resources in the Zamboanga Peninsula through a Joint DA-DILG
Memorandum Order implementing a three-year ban or closure on commercial gear fishing
operations to protect spawning stocks of sardines between December and February. Still, this
management initiative is not enough to sustain sardine abundance through time. There is
need to implement a stringent policy on protecting juvenile sardine and sustaining the sardine
fisheries industry across the entire peninsula. Regulation of fishing effort on capture fishery
and post-harvest industry of sardine and other SPF resources should be a top priority of
government and the fisheries industry in order to sustain local livelihoods of small or
marginal fishers. Finally, there is need for regular consultations among local government
leaders, fishery law enforcement entities and civil society to formulate ways of reducing
vulnerability of coastal fisheries and livelihoods, increase adaptive capacity and building
climate-resilient fishing communities.
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Figures
Theoretical Framework
CLIMATE CHANGE FACTORS
 Increasing SST
 Increased storminess
 Sea level rise
 Increased precipitation
EXPECTED IMPACTS ON
FISHERIES
 Decreased catch
 Decreasing quality/value of
catch
 Lower fisher Income
 Increasing poverty
Fig. 1. Conceptual framework linking climate change with sustainability of coastal fisheries
(Source: De Guzman et al. 2012).
Fig. 2. Relational diagram on vulnerability assessment of fisheries ecosystems under climate change
scenarios (Source: Aliño and Mamauag,2011).
16 | P a g e
Zamboanga
Peninsula
Fig. 3. Map of Mindanao, Philippines showing monitoring sites (red circles) of sardine fisheries in the
northern coast of the Zamboanga peninsula in 2009-2011.
Indian
mackerel
3%
Other SPF
10%
Bigeye scad
7%
Sardine
44%
Roundscad
18%
Bullet tuna
18%
Fig. 4. Species composition of small pelagic fish catch from northern Zamboanga peninsula for the
period May 2009-June 2011.
17 | P a g e
Sardinellalemuru
longiceps
Sardinella
Fig. 5. The dominant Bali sardine Sardinella lemuru tends to aggregate around reef slopes and in
highly productive upwelling zones. (Right photo by Michael Barrow).
Fig. 6. Annual trends in sardine production and juvenile recruitment in the northern Zamboanga
peninsula during the period 2009-2011.
18 | P a g e
Fig. 7. Increasing trend in average monthly catch of sardine from municipal and commercial fisheries
in the northern Zamboanga peninsula during the period May 2009-June 2011. Vertical bars (SEmean)
indicate wide variations in the monthly catch data in 2011.
Fig. 8. Overlay of monthly mean chl a, SST and monthly sardine production values showing
positive correspondence between chl values and landed sardine catch, while SST is negatively
correlated to chl a (r = -0.72) in NZP.
19 | P a g e
Southwest Monsoon (Habagat)
Northeast Monsoon (Amihan)
Fig. 9. Seasonal variations in mean chlorophyll distribution (top panel) and SST (bottom panel) for
August (left) and February (right). Higher chl levels are depicted in red and lower SST is shown in
blue (Data source: http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni).
Table 1. Average catch rates and net incomes from commercial and artisanal fishing gears
involved in small pelagic fisheries in the northern Zamboanga peninsula during the period
2009-2011.
Gear
Commercial Gears
Ringnet
Bagnet
Municipal Gears
Beach Seine
Mod. MHL (hairtail)
Drift Longline
Bottomset Gillnet
Drift Gillnet (large)
Bottomset Longline
SHL (in FADs)
Single Handline
Multiple Handline
BSGN1 (small)
Surface Gillnet (small)
Mean Catch
Rate
Mean Crew
Size
(kg/unit/trip)
(No. fishers/trip)
Net income
per trip (Php)
Net Daily
Income
(Php/fisher/trip)
3392.77
207.92
13
11
41304.35
5358.64
1488.03
235.13
124.34
18.54
13.11
11.98
10.46
6.68
9.29
6.49
5.68
4.22
3.54
6
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1583.60
1958.20
1020.87
603.25
271.49
310.01
181.26
204.04
246.79
209.14
134.00
249.65
1958.20
1020.87
290.17
135.74
297.43
181.26
204.04
246.79
106.68
134.00
20 | P a g e
Table 2. Results of VA using the I-SEA-CChange tool for evaluating sensitivity, adaptive
capacity and vulnerability to storm-induced impacts on coastal ecosystems in the northern
Zamboanga peninsula. (Values in columns refer to scores based on a 1-5 scoring rubric).
City/Municipality
(Zamboanga del Norte)
Dipolog City
Sindangan
Leon B. Postigo
Overall Vulnerability
Sensitivity
Exposure
4
3
3
5
4
4
Lack of Adaptive
Capacity
3
3
3
Vulnerability
High
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Table 3. Results of coastal vulnerability assessment in northern Zamboanga using the TURF
(Vulnerability Scores: L – low; M – moderate; H – high).
City/Municipality
(Zamboanga del Norte)
Dipolog City
Sindangan
Leon B. Postigo
Overall Vulnerability
Vulnerability Components
Ecosystem
Socio –
Fisheries
Attributes
economics
H
H
H
M
H
H
H
H
H
Vulnerability
H
H
H
High
21 | P a g e