Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic to the Socio-Economic Status of the Fisherfolks in the Coastal Areas in Tangub City, Philippines
Abstract
This study analysed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic to the socio-economic status of fisherfolk in the five coastal areas in Tangub City Descriptive statistics were used to assess the income gap of fisherfolk before, during, and after the pandemic. The results revealed that the average income of Php 7,715.00 before the pandemic decreased to Php 4,950.00 during the pandemic, indicating a financial crisis. However, income increased to Php 9,050.00 after the pandemic as fishing activities and other sources of income resumed. This indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on the socio-economic status of the fisherfolk. Additionally, the fisherfolk faced problems such as sudden weather changes, reduced production volumes, lack of access to technology and financial resources, inadequate fishing materials, and the abundant presence of marine mussels, which damaged boats and fishing nets. Based on these findings, the study recommends that responsible agencies, including the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), provide financial support in the form of direct assistance, loan facilities, training in sustainable fishing practices, and livelihood programs focusing on value-added activities like fish processing to enhance resilience against future disruptions. Furthermore, future research should investigate the causes of the abundant presence of marine mussels, their economic and environmental impacts, and their implications for other aquatic species in the coastal areas of Tangub City, Philippines.
References
Amadu, I. et al., (2021). A study on livelihood resilience in the small-scale fisheries of Ghana using a structural equation modelling approach. Ocean and Coastal Management 215. Retrieved from bit.ly/3L0F5cD
Avtar et al., (2021). Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the fisheries sector: a case study from three harbors in Western India. Remote Sensing 13(2), 183. Retrieved from bit.ly/43WV0Bj
Bailey, H., Secor, D. (2016). Coastal evacuations by fish during extreme weather events. Scientific reports 6(1), 1-9. DOI. Retrieved from bit.ly/40vk0Nm
Bennett, N. J et al., (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic, small-scale fisheries and coastal fishing communities. Coastal management 48(4), 336-347. Retrieved from bit.ly/3KYYvP6
Bera, P., Sulagno, R. (2021). Challenges for the fishing community on nutritional perspective in West Bengal coastal areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. IP Journal of Nutrition, Metabolism and Health science. Metabolism and Health Science 4(3), 83- 86. Retrieved from bit.ly/3LoHAqC
Das, K., Behera, R.& Paital, B. (2022). Socio-economic impact of COVID-19. COVID-19 in the Environment, 153-190. Retrieved from bit.ly/40vPO4K
Demirci, A. et al., (2020). Has the pandemic (COVID-19) affected the fishery sector in regional scale? A case study on the fishery sector in Hatay province of Turkey. Marine and Life Sciences 2(1), 13-17. Retrieved from bit.ly/43YwuQg
Diouf, N.S. (2020). Fishers’ perceptions and attitudes toward weather and climate information services for climate change adaptation in Senegal. Sustainability 12(22), 9465. Retrieved from bit.ly/41VATSt
Giannakis, E et al., (2020). Economic consequences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on fisheries in the eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus). Sustainability 12(22), 9406. Retrieved from bit.ly/3V24bfG
Guigue, G. M. (2021). SUPPLY CHAIN ANALYSIS OF PRAWN (PENAEUS MONODON FABRICIUS) IN NORTHERN MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES. Journal of Agriculture and Technology Management, 24(1), 19-27.
Haan, L. (2012). The livelihood approach: A critical exploration. Erdkunde, 345-357. Retrieved from bit.ly/3UXNnqq
Hossain, M. et al., (2022). Livelihood challenges and healthcare-seeking behavior of fishermen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh.Aquaculture546. Retrieved from bit.ly/3H3H8eQ
Illari, M. et al., (2022). Influence of climate change and extreme weather events on an estuarine fish community. Science of The Total Environment 827, 154190. Retrieved from bit.ly/3AmjiqZ
Jomitol, J., Payne, A. J., Sakirun, S., and Bural, M. O. (2020). The impacts of covid-19 to small scale fisheries in Tun Mustapha Park, Sabah, Malaysia? What do we know so far? Preprints. Retrieved from bit.ly/3AkznNI
Josephson, A., Kilic, T.& Michler, J. (2021). Socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in low-income countries. Nature Human Behaviour 5(5),557-565.
DOI: Retrieved from bit.ly/3mXs3oo
Kaewnuratchadasorn, P. et al., (2020). Capturing the impacts of COVID-19 on the fisheries value chain of Southeast Asia. Fish for the People 18(2), 2-8. Retrieved from bit.ly/40xVMSk
Krishnan, A. R. (2021). Risks and uncertainties in fishing operations. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 61, 102324. Retrieved from bit.ly/3At9TxH
Love, D. et al., (2021). Emerging COVID-19 impacts, responses, and lessons for building resilience in the seafood system. Global Food Security 28, 100494. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100494
Macusi, E. et al., (2022). Impacts of COVD-19 on the catch of small-scale fishers (SSF) and their families due to restriction policies in Davao Gulf, Philippines. Frontiers in Marine Science 8-2021. Retrieved from bit.ly/3Anlu1C
Martin, A. et al., (2020). Socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on household consumption and poverty. Economics of disasters and climate change 4(3), 453-479. Retrieved from bit.ly/3H9dtB4
Mallik, A. et al., (2022). Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on aquatic environment and fishing community: Boon or bane? Marine Policy 141. 105088.PSA (2017a). Fisheries Situation Report, 2017 January- December: Quezon. Retrieved from bit.ly/3H3IcPS
Menge, B., Chan, F., Lubchenco, J. (2007). Response of a rocky intertidal ecosystem engineer and community dominant to climate change. Ecology Letters 11(2), 151-162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01135.x
Minahal, Q. et al., (2020). Global impact of COVID-19 on aquaculture and fisheries: a review. Int. J. Aquat. Stud 8, 42-48. Retrieved from bit.ly/41MrSLX
Nyiawung, R. et al., (2022). COVID-19 and small-scale fisheries in Africa: Impacts on livelihoods and fish value chain in Cameroon and Liberia. Marine Policy 141, 105104. Retrieved from bit.ly/40vl2Je
Owusu, V. et al., (2022). The COVID-19 Pandemic and Coastal Fishery Livelihood Systems: Socio-economic Implications for Small-Scale Fisherfolk in Winneba, Ghana. COVID-19 and a World of Ad Hoc Geographies, 1657-1678. Retrieved from bit.ly/41v4FNP
Purkait, S. et al., (2020). Impacts of novel coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic on fisheries sector in India: A Minireview. Ind. J. Pure App8(3),487-492. Retrieved from bit.ly/41y5sxx
Quinones, MB. et al., (2020). Socio- Economic Condition Among the Fisherfolks in Iligan Bay, Northern Mindanao Philippines. Journal of Environment and aquatic resource 43-60. Retrieved from bit.ly/3N7T17p
Rasul, G. et al., (2021). Socio-economic Implications of COVID-19 pandemic in South Asia: emerging risks and growing challenges. Frontiers in sociology 6, 629693. Retrieved from bit.ly/41vpXer
Renscombe, P. (2020). Rural areas at risk during COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 20(5), 545. Retrieved from bit.ly/3H7mVow
Sano, Y., Mammen, S. (2022). Mitigating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on rural low-income families. Journal of Family and Economic Issues 43(2), 227-238. Retrieved from bit.ly/3HbxyXl
Sengupta, S. et al., (2020). All India Ophthalmological Society-Indian Journal of Ophthalmology consensus statement on preferred practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 68(5), 711. Retrieved from bit.ly/3mXA8JD
Shinozaki S. & Rao L. (2021). COVID-19 impact on micro, small, and medium sized enterprises under the lockdown: evidence from a rapid survey in the Philippines. ADBI Working Paper 1216. Retrieved from bit.ly/3HuLNH9
Smith, S. L. et al., (2020). Adaptation and resilience of commercial fishers in the Northeast United States during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. PloS one 15(12), E0243886. Retrieved from bit.ly/3H8HYXT
Sorensen, J., Echard, J., & Weil, R. (2020). From bad to worse: the impact of COVID-19 on commercial fisheries workers. Journal of Agromedicine 25(4), 388-391.Retrieved from bit.ly/3L3orJx
Sunga, A., Advincula, J. (2021). The “Plantito/Plantita” Home Gardening during the Pandemic. Community Psychology in Global Perspective 7(1), 88-105.DOI: 10.1285/i24212113v7i1p88
Turner, R., McConney, P., Monnereau, I. (2020). Climate change adaptation and extreme weather in the small-scale fisheries of Dominica. Coastal Management 48(5), 436-455. Retrieved from bit.ly/3Ly0Ylj
Urbiztondo, L., Conte, P., Tomas, E. A. (2016). Socio-Economic and Environmental Impact of the No Fish Pen/Fish Cages Policy as Perceived by Fishermen Along Lingayen-Binmaley- Dagupan City River System, Philippines. Southeast Asian Journal of Science and Technology 1(1), 49-59. Retrieved from bit.ly/3LlDzmK
Utete, B. et al., (2019). Vulnerability of fisherfolks and their perceptions towards climate change and its impacts on their livelihoods in a peri-urban lake system in Zimbabwe. Environment, Development and Sustainability 21(2), 917-934. DOI. Retrieved from bit.ly/3mUn6N9
WHO (2020). Covid-19 Strategy Update. Retrieved from bit.ly/40CPhh7
Zhang, Y. et al., (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on fish trade and the coping strategies: An initial assessment from China’s perspective. Marine Policy 133. Retrieved from bit.ly/3Lpu1Ya
