A Tale of Two Islands: Some Lessons for Marine Resource Management

Abstract

A comparison of two island fishing communities in the Visayas, Philippines, shows significant differences in coral-reef habitat and in diversity of selected reef-fishes, as well as important differences in fishing customs and catch composition. During the sampling months of April–May 1985, fishermen on the 72-ha Apo Island, Negros, caught more than two-thirds of their total fish-catch on the reef, whereas fishermen on the 200-ha Pamilacan Island, Bohol, caught less than 20% of their total catch on the reef during the same period. This discrepancy may be attributable to reef quality or fishing customs, or to both these factors.