Aquatic resources merit more attention

For people living in an island nation, our orientation seems overly focused on land rather than on water. We do not pay enough attention or give enough importance to our oceans, rivers and other bodies of water. Until we fully appreciate all our natural resources, we will miss out on economic and development opportunities. We are limiting ourselves when we overlook or take for granted half our country’s area, which is water.

This oversight, or perhaps neglect, is evident in the scope of our anti-poverty policies and programs. The poorest of the poor Filipinos are farmers and fisherfolk, with the latter group slightly worse off. Poverty incidence among farmers is 38.3 percent in 2012, for fisherfolk 39.2 percent, according to government statistics. Sadly, we do not have major programs and policies that address the specific needs of our fisherfolk.