23 research outputs found
Economic Valuation of Conserving Endangered Species and Their Habitats in the North West Panay Peninsula, Central Philippines
No full textA Self-Administered-Contingent Valuation Method (SA-CVM) survey was used to determine the non-use values or willingness to pay (WTP) of San Jose, Antique and Kalibo, Aklan respondents on conserving endangered species and habitats of Northwest Panay Peninsula National Park (NWPPNP). The study examined two payment vehicles as regards their potential for soliciting people's WTP and possible financing source for conservation: electric bill surcharge and the annual community tax collected by the local government treasury. The study found that people have high level of awareness of the importance of endangered species conservation but when compared with other environmental concerns, it was perceived as of less priority. When asked for specific (monetary) commitment or WTP to conserve NWPPNP, the majority was unwilling or non-committal. Results also revealed to a low and flat WTP curve, "yea" saying, and some bias toward a certain denomination. Based on the dichotomous choice CVM survey, results confirm the low WTP of respondents since only up to 14 percent were willing to pay for the hypothesized conservation fund for NWPPNP's endangered species and habitats. This is almost the same proportion as those who were willing to pay through either of the payment vehicle groupings. The main motivations for their WTP were bequest and use values. On the other hand, the survivor function estimates of mean WTP showed that the average respondent was willing to pay as contribution to the conservation fund amounts ranging from PhP 122 to PhP 176 per year. These WTP estimates can collect a modest social WTP of PhP 2.7-3.9 million, which is not sufficient to cover the opportunity costs of conservation. Thus, sourcing conservation funds for NWPPNP should go beyond the local residents.Self-administered-contingent valuation method survey, Willingness to pay (WTP), Northwest Panay Peninsula National Park (NWPPNP), non-use values, denominational bias, yea saying
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Tradeable Use rights for Fishpond Leases or Mangrove Areas Restoration
No full textFrom over half a million hectares in the turn of 20th century, mangrove areas in the Philippines have diminished to about 117,000 ha in 1993 and even much less in the turn of the 21st century. Much of such
reduction in mangrove areas has been attributed to their conversion to aquaculture fishponds mainly for milkfish and prawn. In 1993 alone, 261,402 ha (Bagarinao, 1999) of fishponds have been accounted for
nationwide. For 1995, while BFAR report argued that there were more than 176,000 ha of brackishwater fishponds, actual data from the various regions show a total of only 117,803 ha. This may imply under-utilization of brackishwater areas developed for fishponds. Corroborated by this phenomenon is the common knowledge that subleasing of fishpond lease agreements (FLA) have become common practice. The likely under-utlization of brackishwater areas, most of them were previously mangrove areas, brings forth the need on how to optimally allocate or use them. The paper argues that subdividing these areas to tradable units of one hectare per unit (or so) can facilitate the optimal utilization of such unutilized or under-utilized areas. Tradable resource use rights as have been developed in the environmental and natural resource economics literature, can facilitate the full utilization of FLAs towards higher food (fish) production, and/or restored mangrove ecosystems.KEYWORDS: Aquaculture, Milkfish, Fisheries economics, Prawns, Mangrove areas restoration, Fishpond leases, Philippine
Mechanisms to capture economic values of marine biodiversity: The case of Tubbataha Reefs UNESCO World Heritage Site, Philippines
No full textThis paper examines the use and non-use values of coral reefs as applied to the Tubbataha Reefs UNESCO World Heritage Site. Results from various studies indicate that economic benefits/values from conservation far exceed the costs of conservation. Mechanisms on how such economic values have been and can be captured are discussed. It is noted that non-use values could provide huge capturable economic values.Tubbataha reefs Economic values Marine biodiversity
Valuing Biodiversity Conservation in a World Heritage Site: Citizen's Non-use Values for Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park, Philippines
No full textThis study assesses the willingness of people in three cities in the Philippines to pay for the conservation of one of the country's most important marine areas. The research was carried out to find alternative sources of finance for the Philippine's marine conservation program. Lack of funds is already placing many of the country's key marine areas in danger from illegal and destructive fishing and other environmental threats. The contingent valuation method (CVM) was used to find out how much people in Quezon City, Cebu City and Puerto Princesa would be willing to contribute to a conservation trust fund for the Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park (TRNMP). This is a UNESCO world heritage site covering 33,000 hectares of the Sulu Sea. It has been under threat from illegal fishing and has suffered significant coral loss in recent years. The study finds that well over 40% of all respondents would be willing to pay money to support conservation in the reserve and in its surrounding waters. It finds that people are most willing to pay because they think that it is important to conserve the marine park for future generations. Although differences are found in the amount of money people would be willing to give for reef conservation, even the lowest estimate of the overall potential income- PHP141 million (or USD2.5 million) per year - would provide more than enough money to fund conservation work in the TRNMP. Given this promising revenue source, the report outlines a number of options for collecting this money - including two different tax proposals and a number of suggestions for collecting voluntary donations.Marine conservation, Philippines
Profitability and Economic Efficiency in Gillnet Fishing in Guimaras Strait and Adjacent Waters, Western Visayas, Philippines
No full textGillnets contribute a sign if i cant portion of fish
production in the Philippine fisheries sector, as well as in
Guimaras Strait and adjacent waters. It has been found out
however, that many small-scale or municipal fishermen, to which
the gillnet fishermen belong are living below the poverty
threshold. Moreover, a number of studies and available
secondary data showed the evident overfishing in Guimaras
Strait and adjacent waters.
This study examines the socio-economic profile,
profitability and economic efficiency in gillnet fishing in
Guimaras Strait and adjacent waters.
The socio-economic profile revealed that most of the
gillnet fishermen attained elementary or high school level of education. Average household size was 5.7 members while 71 percent of the households were dependent on only one income
earner in the family. Sixty one percent of the households
depended on fishing as the only source of income. The study
also found that there were other employment alternatives, aside
from fishing, which were available for the gillnet fishermen.
Costs and earnings analysis showed that both drift
gillnets and bottomset gillnets earned fishing incomes below
that of the national poverty threshold. Encircling gillnets,
meanwhile, earned 68675.68 pesos, the highest of the three gear
types.
The normalized restricted translog profit function was
used to assess whether gillnet fishermen were able to maximize
profits and to examine relative economic efficiency. The
results which was estimated using the seemingly unrelated
regressions (SUR) technique, revealed that all gillnets were
not able to maximize profits based on pooled regressions and
indi vidual gear type regressions. Encircling gillnets were
found to be the most economic efficient while the drift
gillnets were found to be the least economic efficient.The price elasticity of demand for labour was found to be
inelastic (-0.79). Own price elasticity for fuel was close to
unity (-0.96 ), while that for crew provisions was quite elastic
(-1. 38 ). Cross price elasticity estimates revealed that the above (three) variable inputs were substitutes at varying
degrees. Input demand elasticities for labour, fuel, and crew
provisions with respect to net mesh size suggest that bigger
net mesh size would lead to lower labour and fuel use, and
lower crew provisions.
The results also showed that increase in fish prices will
increase labour, fuel and crew provisions use. The estimated
own price elasticity of output or fish catch implied the
evident overfishing in Guimaras Strait and adjacent waters.
This finding confirms the assessment of previous studies and
the suggestion of secondary data about the status of the
fishery
Economic valuation for biodiversity conservation of Tubbaha reefs national Marine and World Heritage Site, Sulu Sea, Philippines
No full textSocio-Economic Conditions and Perceptions on the Conservation of Tubbataha Reefs and Vicinity: A Households Survey in Cagayancillo, Palawan
No full textThis paper presents the results of a socio-economic monitoring survey of 110 sampled respondents/households across the 12 barangays of Cagayancillo, using a survey instrument through personal interviews. Findings show that on the average, the respondent was 48 years old, with 7 years of formal education, has lived in Cagayancillo for 31 years and belonged to a family/household with 6 members. Cagayanens had shifted to farming as the main source of their livelihood and income, while fishing was only second. Based on their income data, Cagayanens are living below poverty threshold level of income. Poverty incidence ranged from 67-79% of the Cagayanen households. The income data for 1999 and 2004 when compared, plus the respondents' perception that present aquatic resources are not in good condition, somehow allude to the possibility that the Cagayanens may just easily fall on the vicious cycle of poverty and environmental degradation.
The good news can be the increasing involvement of people in coastal resource management and conservation. By including the people in the main Cagayancillo islands as beneficiaries of and participants in the conservation efforts and projects, WWF-Philippines/ KKP has perhaps initiated a good momentum for a democratized and more sustainable stakeholders management of coastal resources in Cagayancillo. In order to sustain this momentum for continuous people's participation in coastal resource management and conservation, and eventually the alleviation of poverty in Cagayancillo, concerned policy makers and other entities need to consider some options, one of which is the continuation of conservation efforts started by WWF-Philippines for another 2-3 years
Are fishers profit maximizers? The case of Gillnetters in negros occidental and Iloilo, Philippines
No full textThe translog profit function model was used to determine whether sampled Philippine gillnet boats or fishers were able to maximize profits from their fishing trips. The empirical results showed that the translog functional form was more appropriate than the Cobb-Douglas form. The sampled gillnet boats were not able to maximize profits. The nonprofit-maximizing behavior was found in each of the different gillnet types: drift gillnet, encircling gillnet and bottomset gillnet. The evident overfished condition of the fishery and the fishers’ satisfaction from their work were cited as the major reasons why they opted to remain in the fishery despite its nonprofitability
Well-being of artisanal fishing communities and children’s engagement in fisheries amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: a case in Aklan, Philippines
No full textAbstract This study describes and explains the multifaceted effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socio-economic and psychosocial well-being of the artisanal fishing communities in Central Philippines. The state of child labour and their education amidst the COVID-19 lockdown were also explored. Four hundred artisanal fishing households, with 792 children, from the 10 coastal municipalities in Aklan province were surveyed in May–December 2020 through face-to-face household interviews. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened poverty in these highly vulnerable fishing communities primarily through severe disruptions in their fishing and marine tourism-related livelihoods. The proportion of households living below the Philippine poverty threshold of PHP12,030 (USD232.7) monthly for a family of five members increased from 78% pre-COVID to 91% peri-COVID. This economic impoverishment was more pronounced in larger families with limited income, as in the survey sites, where 41% of the households have more than five family members. Furthermore, 57% of the surveyed households believed that learning difficulty increased by 81% among children due to the blended online education modality. Amidst increased impoverishment, child labour intensified, and children stopped schooling. A significant decline in happiness index peri-COVID was also observed in the study sites indicating extreme socio-economic challenges. Contrary to expectations, however, interpersonal relations in most households improved, underscoring women’s stabilising and nurturing role. This latter phenomenon signifies that cooperative and nurturing actor relationships can be generated even in a crisis. Policies that mainstreamed local communities’ reproductive health, family planning, and programmes that diversify socio-economic, environmental, and technological assets must be renewed and promoted. The goal is to holistically improve human well-being by increasing or sustaining stocks of these assets to promote resilience and sustainability amidst crisis and complexity
Estimating the economic benefits and costs of conserving marine protected area in San Jose, Antique, Philippines
No full textThe establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Philippines becomes a priority management strategy to conserve marine biodiversity and address the problem of declining marine resources. Economic studies can be a viable tool to determine MPA as a management option by evaluating their benefits and costs to the community. In order to determine the economic benefits of MPAs in San Jose, Antique, the total economic value of the resource consisting of direct and indirect use and non-use values was determined in 2016. Direct benefits from revenues and tourism amounted to Php 247,739.61 at the time of the study. Concurrently, the indirect functional benefits of MPA amounted to Php 2,162,235 using the benefit-transfer method. In measuring the non-use values of the MPA, the contingent valuation method was used to elicit the people’s willingness to pay for the MPA conservation program. The mean willingness to pay (WTP) of 260 participants equals Php 219.00, and the social WTP amounted to Php 5,725,136.89. The total benefits of managing the MPA amounted to Php 8,135,111.50, which exceeded the cost of conserving the MPA, which amounted to only Php 1,235,363.30. The net present values across 25 year period and different interest rates generated positive results
