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Journal of Environment and Aquatic Resources. 1(1): 15-31 (2009)
Panguil Bay Fisheries over the Decades:
Status and Management Challenges
Jaime U. Jimenez, Asuncion B. De Guzman, Cesaria R. Jimenez
and Rodrigo E. Acuña
Institute of Fisheries Research and Development
Mindanao State University at Naawan, 9023 Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The diverse and productive fisheries of Panguil Bay have been exploited for
decades by a large fishing population using a wide variety of gears. Total landed catch
based on recorded catches of various gears from April to December 2005 was to 201.12 t,
with finfish comprising 40.8% (82.14 t), mollusks 34.8% (69.94 t) and crustaceans 24.4%
(49.04 t), which by extrapolation amounted to an estimated total annual production of
1,660.54 t. The present report showed that yields of finfish, crustacean and mollusk
resources from the bay have generally declined over the years as fishing effort continued
to climb. Landed catch in 2005 comprised 135 finfish species belonging to 71 families,
21 crustaceans and 15 mollusks. Ten species made up 62.3% of the total landed catch of
finfish, four shrimp and four crab species comprised 86.4% of total crustacean harvest
while four bivalve species represented 79.8% of the total mollusk production from the
bay in 2005. As many as 9,323 fishers owning more than 5,000 boats depend on the
municipal fisheries of Panguil Bay for their livelihood in 2005. Thirty-two gear types are
operated in Panguil Bay where the most popular (i.e., with more than 50 units each), are
bottom set gill net (349), cast net (174), simple hook and line (117), modified fish corral
(96), drift gill net (79), and crab lift net (61). The highest catch rates of finfish and
crustaceans were obtained from drift gill net in San Antonio (58.17 kg gear-1 d-1), while
the scoop net used in gathering the bivalve Donax sp. (“agihis”) in Migpangi, Bonifacio
obtained the highest mean CPUE value (267.25 kg gear-1 d-1). While a few fishing gears
obtained large CPUE values, extremely high fishing effort naturally resulted in very
small daily catches in most types (< 1.0 kg gear-1 d-1). The “alimango” fishing industry is
still thriving in the inner part of Panguil Bay despite its progressive decline. Conservation
and management measures are now in place to protect bivalve and other fishery resources
in the bay, however, the continued presence and operation of highly efficient and
destructive fishing gears remain a persistent threat to the fishery resources of the bay.
Gonadal maturity and length-frequency analysis indicate the occurrence of biological
overfishing on major fish stocks in Panguil Bay.
Key words: Fish stock assessment, exploitation, annual production, biological
overfishing.
Journal of Environment and Aquatic Resources. 1(1): 15-31 (2009)
Panguil Bay Fisheries over the Decades:
Status and Management Challenges
Jaime U. Jimenez, Asuncion B. De Guzman, Cesaria R. Jimenez
and Rodrigo E. Acuña
Institute of Fisheries Research and Development
Mindanao State University at Naawan, 9023 Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The diverse and productive fisheries of Panguil Bay have been exploited for
decades by a large fishing population using a wide variety of gears. Total landed catch
based on recorded catches of various gears from April to December 2005 was to 201.12 t,
with finfish comprising 40.8% (82.14 t), mollusks 34.8% (69.94 t) and crustaceans 24.4%
(49.04 t), which by extrapolation amounted to an estimated total annual production of
1,660.54 t. The present report showed that yields of finfish, crustacean and mollusk
resources from the bay have generally declined over the years as fishing effort continued
to climb. Landed catch in 2005 comprised 135 finfish species belonging to 71 families,
21 crustaceans and 15 mollusks. Ten species made up 62.3% of the total landed catch of
finfish, four shrimp and four crab species comprised 86.4% of total crustacean harvest
while four bivalve species represented 79.8% of the total mollusk production from the
bay in 2005. As many as 9,323 fishers owning more than 5,000 boats depend on the
municipal fisheries of Panguil Bay for their livelihood in 2005. Thirty-two gear types are
operated in Panguil Bay where the most popular (i.e., with more than 50 units each), are
bottom set gill net (349), cast net (174), simple hook and line (117), modified fish corral
(96), drift gill net (79), and crab lift net (61). The highest catch rates of finfish and
crustaceans were obtained from drift gill net in San Antonio (58.17 kg gear-1 d-1), while
the scoop net used in gathering the bivalve Donax sp. (“agihis”) in Migpangi, Bonifacio
obtained the highest mean CPUE value (267.25 kg gear-1 d-1). While a few fishing gears
obtained large CPUE values, extremely high fishing effort naturally resulted in very
small daily catches in most types (< 1.0 kg gear-1 d-1). The “alimango” fishing industry is
still thriving in the inner part of Panguil Bay despite its progressive decline. Conservation
and management measures are now in place to protect bivalve and other fishery resources
in the bay, however, the continued presence and operation of highly efficient and
destructive fishing gears remain a persistent threat to the fishery resources of the bay.
Gonadal maturity and length-frequency analysis indicate the occurrence of biological
overfishing on major fish stocks in Panguil Bay.
Key words: Fish stock assessment, exploitation, annual production, biological
overfishing.
