Blue swimming crabs, or “alimasag” as they are locally known, are of immense value to the local economy, drawing in almost two million pesos a year and creating jobs for upwards of 20,000 Filipinos. They’re also an incredibly precarious commodity, with market pressures bringing the species past sustainable levels. A 1999 study revealed that blue crab fisheries were being fished beyond sustainable levels. Recognizing the situation these crabs are faced with as well as the potential damage that could be caused to the economy and to local fishermen, WWF-Philippines has decided to do something about it.

In 2004, the market competitiveness of blue swimming crabs were tested against the indicators laid out by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Findings were bleak – the study discovered that the blue swimming crab underperforms in all of MSC’s indicators relating to sustainability. The unsustainability of current blue swimming crab practices, combined with heavy amounts of fishing pressure being placed upon their fisheries, pose a threat to the continuation of the species and on the livelihoods of the thousands of Filipinos who derive their employment from harvesting them.

WWF-Philippines has since begun work on a project that will alleviate pressures currently weighing down on blue swimming crab fisheries. The pilot site is located in Negros Occidental, where almost four million tons of blue swimming crab are caught every year. Work begins with establishing the current context these fisheries are faced with. This includes looking at all factors affecting the fishery, from the health of the fishery itself to the various bodies and institutions both public and private that have an impact on them. A review of the performance of the fishery will be weighed against the standards laid down by the MSC to see how it’s performing and to identify points for improvement. As this goes on, WWF-Philippines will work to train and empower fishermen to take charge of monitoring and conducting the projects, so as to instil in them a sense of ownership and to ensure that the project is sustained well into the future.

With the baselines set and the tool prepared, the next step will be to work on improving the fisheries. A Fishery Improvement Program (FIP) is currently in the works and will involve a number of different stakeholders, with the intention of helping fisheries attain MSC approval through collaborative efforts. The FIPs will be designed and conducted with the triple bottom line in mind, which is to say in consideration for not just the environment, but for society and the economy. Once the FIP concludes, the newly-improved blue swimming crab fishery will studied once again and weighed against MSC standards. Should the fishery pass these standards and earn itself official MSC certification, it will be considered a successful site.

The blue swimming crab is of great importance to a great many Filipinos, and their loss spells the loss for thousands upon thousands of jobs and livelihood sources. With rampant fishing and strong market pressures weighing down on them, blue swimming crabs have been pushed into a dangerous position. Through good research and adherence to MSC standards, and through a multi-sector, multi-stakeholder projects aimed at improving their conditions and alleviating the pressures placed upon them, WWF-Philippines promises there is hope again for getting the blue swimming crabs – and the fishermen who live off them – back up on their feet.