Stories From the Field

Philippines: Women Help Patrol Their Seas
Story and photos by Daisy Flores
May 2004

Gemma Gades is a mother and active leader of a local fisherfolk group protecting Hinatuan Bay. Located in the province of Surigao del Sur on the eastern side of Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines, Hinatuan Bay is made up of small island ecosystems abundant with marine life. Ka Gemma and other women from Mahaba Island formed the community group "Ladies in United Movement Onward to Development" (LUMOT) to address pressing issues facing coastal resources, their primary source of income. Threats include intrusion of outside fishers using compressors and fine mesh nets, use of destructive scaring devises and poisons, clearing of mangrove forests for fishpond construction, siltation of seagrass beds from limestone quarrying, and algal overgrowth due to domestic wastes.

Women from LUMOT underwent capability-building seminars to deepen their understanding of the coastal environment and to boost their ability to contribute to the management of coastal resources. Ka Gemma, an active member of LUMOT, became president of the organization in 1999. Later that year, the group "Nagkahiusang Mangingisda sa Hinatuan" (NAMAHIN; in English "Alliance of Fisherfolk Organizations in Hinatuan") was formed to address bay issues at the municipal level and to link different stakeholder groups. In 2000, Ka Gemma was elected president of NAMAHIN.

Now, reefs in Hinatuan Bay are making a comeback after years of abuse. Eight fish sanctuaries exist within the bay and are patrolled by community members. Hinatuan Bay is one of the few sites in the Philippines that have active women fish wardens and continuing efforts to empower women to protect their seas. Ka Gemma patrols the sanctuaries together with local fish wardens. Their efforts are being rewarded; the big fishes have come back and the coral reefs are recovering. Dynamite fishing has been stopped for nearly two years thanks to active enforcement by fisherfolk organizations, fish wardens and the maritime police.

Since its formation, LUMOT has undergone gender-mainstreaming in its activities; women's husbands helped establish their fish sanctuary and build the guardhouse, as well as participate in mangrove reforestation and patrolling and enforcement of the sanctuaries.

Not everyone is happy about the sanctuaries. Some fishermen argue that they should be opened up to local fishers now that the fishes have come back. In October 2003, tension between supporters and opponents grew when discontented fishers from Cambatong began a petitioning campaign. Ka Gemma and supportive local fisherfolk continue to advocate that the sanctuaries be maintained. With the help of the non-government organization "Center for Empowerment and Resource Development" (CERD), campaigns to inform the displaced fishers about the benefits of maintaining the sanctuary are being carried out to this day.

Ka Gemma and the Hinatuan Bay organizations, fish wardens and communities are members of the LMMA Network. At the end of May 2004, other LMMA project site representatives and community members are going on a cross-site visit to Hinatuan Bay to learn from and become inspired by the stories of Ka Gemma and the local experience and success at Hinatuan Bay.