How can we build sustainable fishing communities?

I was requested by the Ateneo Center for Social Entrepreneurship (ACSEnt) to be a case writer for their book “Social Enterprise Stories of Resilience and Innovation.” I wrote about Balangay’s Best and its mission to promote sustainable fishing.

Excerpt below is extracted from my contribution to the book “Social Enterprise Stories of Resilience and Innovation”:

Jesalee Rose (Jet) Ong extended an important gospel to fisherfolk in Bantayan, Cebu. It was the gospel of sustainable fishing or, simply put, the gospel of knowing how to responsibly fish to preserve the sea's resources for the next generations. The gospel stemmed from the alarming fact that if we continued to fish excessively and irresponsibly, we would not have any fish left in the ocean by 2050 (Pearce, 2006; WWF Germany, 2016). This is not only a humanitarian crisis that will bring about economic repercussions, but also destroy the livelihoods of coastal communities and the food security of rural families.

Jet is one of the co-founders (together with Dhang Tecson and Noi Quesada) of Fishers & Changemakers, Inc. (FCI), a social enterprise that works with fishers’ community enterprises responsible for products under the brand Balangay's Best (Sino Cruz, 2019). While this sounded noble, it was not easy for them to communicate the importance of sustainable fishing to the fisherfolk on Bantayan Island.

Preaching sustainable fishing meant that they had to look beyond their grueling day-to-day realities. They would have to respect the right time and place to catch using the right gear. Was this even possible?

It was tough to get through to people and communities who have suffered this much. But in this dark and seemingly hopeless situation, Jet was challenged to do more than just turn over the materials for making boats from the GK group. The boats could help some families to recover, but these would not improve their lives. For Jet, she could not stand the fact that no matter how much these fisherfolk caught in a day, their small earnings would only pay off their debts. She could not fathom how vulnerable the people in Bantayan would be should a calamity strike again. Jet shared concerns with Dhang Tecson, and Noi Quesada, and six other GK workers. They started to work out their vision and mission in 2014 and officially became Fishers & Changemakers, Inc. in 2015, the lone social enterprise in the Philippines that partners with local artisan fishing communities to produce seafood products through sustainable practices.