DARAM, Samar — The monsoon wind is getting stronger with the approaching heavy rain already visible on the horizon as 34-years old Roger Labong brings his fishing boat back to the shore.

The pail where he puts his catch is one-third filled with a mix of mostly tamban (sardine), bulinaw (anchovy) and other larger fish — his catch after two hours of fishing in the municipal waters.

“If it is sunny tomorrow, we can dry the smaller ones, otherwise they will just rot. The bigger ones will be cooked as paksiw for our dinner and tomorrow’s meals,” Labong said. “We have no way to store them.”

Labong’s dilemma on what to do with the smaller fish is typical to most fishermen in Samar where there is lack of facilities for post-harvest processing which results to massive fish loss.

Daram Mayor Philip Astorga recognizes this problem.

“One of our problems in Daram is that majority of our fish catch are not brought here. The fishers sell these in the city. We don’t have facilities and we lack processing,” Astorga said. “It’s also hard to find ice here. If ice will be available, our fishers will surely bring their catch here and we’ll more fish available in Daram.”

A study by Oceana has found that as much as 40 percent of the fish catch in Samar and Northern Samar provinces is lost due to poor post-harvest fish handling practices and lack of adequate landing facilities and cold storage.

This fish loss means not only a loss of income for fishermen but also a loss of food for the community, especially in areas with high poverty incidence and malnutrition rates.

The island municipality of Daram, with a population of over 40,000 and a poverty rate of over 40 percent, is a prime example of this issue. Fishing is a primary livelihood in Daram, which has the largest municipal waters in the Samar Sea.

'If it is sunny tomorrow, we can dry the smaller ones, otherwise they will just rot.'

A study by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) among households in 2018 shows 60.5 percent in Samar and 75.1 percent in Northern Samar experienced food insecurity, well above the national average of 54 percent.

NNC also cited high incidence of stunting, wasting, and iodine deficiency, suggesting an insufficient intake of protein and fish.

Meantime, Oceana Philippines vice president Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos said that well-designed interventions are needed to reduce fish waste for small-scale fishers.

“It is alarming that almost half of fish catch is lost before they are landed or rots before they are sold — when we address this, imagine how much of a positive difference this will make for coastal communities and the lives of their children,” Ramos said.

Last 2 October, Oceana launched its Food and Livelihood Campaign in Daram aimed at reducing fish loss and improving livelihood and nutrition status in fishing communities in the country.

Astorga, on the other hand, said Oceana’s campaign to reduce post-harvest fish loss is a big help.

“Eventually, when we have post-harvest facilities and processing of fish, our problem on malnutrition will lessen because we’ll have quality fish available to us. We will not anymore settle with small fish that are left here in the island,” Astorga said.