The global population remains heavily reliant on seafood. Best Alternatives Founder Gregg Yan pointed out that 17% of all animal protein consumed by humans each year comes from wild seafood. Joint pressure from climate change, growing demand, and commercial and illegal fishing, however, has left many of the country’s fisheries – and those who depend on them - in a precarious position.

“This book is about the men and women of the sea… we have compiled over a dozen stories that chronicle the many issues of fishing communities in the Philippines, and the solutions being offered by the government, PaNaGaT, their many allies, and the fishers themselves,” said Yan. The PaNaGaT Network works with coastal communities and small-scale fishermen, promoting practices that help match growing demand without compromising neither fisheries nor the people who rely on them for livelihood.

“This book is all about the sustainable management of our oceans. PaNaGaT is proud to facilitate the country’s historic and much-needed transition to sustainable fisheries, not just to ensure better lives for the country’s 2 million fisher folk, but to provide for the 50 million people who rely on Philippine seas for food,” said Tambuyog Development Center Executive Director Dinna Umengan, Convenor of the PaNaGaT Network. Since 2015, the network has supported numerous efforts to promote sustainable fishing, such as the passing of Republic Act 10654, which amended the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 to acknowledge and sanction the practice of illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing.  

PaNaGaT’s many efforts are detailed in the new book, alongside vignettes from the field showcasing the lives and struggles of small-scale fishers.