Ecological Impacts of Fishing and Tourism-Related Activities in San Vicente, Palawan, Philippines

Abstract

The decline of fish production is one of the environmental issues in the province of Palawan, in which many households are highly dependent on fishing. This phenomenon may lead to a decline in household income or mass shifting of livelihood to other forms of livelihood like tourism-related activities. This study was conducted to determine the perceived ecological impacts of fishing livelihood and tourism-related activities to marine habitats which include seagrass, mangroves and coral reefs in Poblacion and Port Barton, San Vicente, Palawan. The perceived ecological impacts of fishing livelihood and tourism-related activities were determined using household interviews and key informant interviews through a face-to-face interview. Results show that the ecological impacts of fishing and tourism-related activities are degradation of coral reef, seagrass and mangroves and improvement through policies.