When outsiders are resource users: Fishers' migration in Southwest Panay, Philippines, and its impact on small-scale fisheries

This paper examined the fishers' migration in Southwest Panay, Philippines, how it has shaped the small-scale fisheries management in the receiving area, influenced local resource access and utilization, and the potential impacts of the phenomenon on fishing technology and practices. The study was conducted in two municipalities in the province of Iloilo (Miagao and San Joaquin) and two in the province of Antique (Anini-y and San Jose de Buenavista). It utilized household surveys, key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussion (FGD) as research methodologies. Results show that there are various push and pull factors that influence the migrant fishers (locally known as pangayaw ) to migrate to other areas. The most common reason cited is the presence of a richer fishing ground or better livelihood opportunities in their host community. Migrant fishers play a vital role in the local fishing economy as sources of new fishing technology. However, results revealed that most of the technologies that they introduced were either more efficient gears (e.g., use of purse seine and gill nets) or modifications (e.g., use of kati or decoy) that would increase the efficiency of the fishing gears. This may have a consequent negative impact on the sustainability of the fishery resources in the host community. It is evident from the available data of the local government units and the observations of the participants through their local ecological knowledge that migration has a potential impact on local resource access and utilization patterns, and may influence the socio-cultural landscape of the receiving area. It poses a challenge to the sustainable utilization of the resources, and exerts additional pressure on the social services of the receiving local governments. Instead of treating them as "outsiders", they should be treated as partners of the local community and must share the responsibilities of sustainable utilization and management of the fisheries resources.