INCOFISH Wraps Up

The project on Integrating Multiple Demands on Coastal Zones with Emphasis on Aquatic Ecosystems and Fisheries, better known as INCOFISH, has successfully been completed. The project, with financial support from the Commission of the European Communities, was implemented from May 2005 to April 2008.

INCOFISH, selected among the 40 success stories within the purview of Sixth Framework Program (PF6) of the European Commission, brought together about 200 researchers from 35 institutions and private enterprises from 22 countries, working globally in18 large marine ecosystems. The project was organized in 10 thematic workpackages (WPs), such as Data, Tools and Outreach; Shifting Baselines; Biodiversity Mapping; Ecosystem Modeling; Marine Protected Areas; Coastal Transects; Simple Indicators for Sustainable Fisheries; Valuation of Coastal Ecosystems Products and Services; Impact of Ecotourism on Ecosystems; and Legal Instruments for Sustainable Fishing.

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Panukat Isda Launched Anew

Panukat Isda, the fish ruler, was launched again for the second time at the opening of the 45th Fish Conservation Week Celebration of the Philippine’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) last 20 October 2008. The launch was led by Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture and BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento, Jr., who helped distribute 100 fish rulers to key players of the country’s fisheries sector.

Panukat Isda, developed under the INCOFISH project, WP7 on Indicators for Sustainable Fisheries, is a user-friendly tool for improved fisheries management. The fish ruler shows fish length at first maturity, which ideally should be the minimum length that the fish should be harvested. Fish caught shorter than this length have not yet spawned and therefore have not been given a chance to reproduce to ensure the continuity of fish stocks. The fish ruler tool emphasizes the importance of allowing fish to grow to adulthood and have babies before they are caught and consumed by humans. Research has shown that the fish size is very important in fisheries management. According to INCOFISH Project Coordinator Dr. Rainer Froese, if every fish can spawn at least once before being caught, overfishing is theoretically impossible.

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