Fisher-Buyer Trade Relations: An Oppressive Reality

Abstract

The Philippines is a country with rich marine resources. Many of its people rely on fishing as a way of life. Even with its abundance, people relying on fishing are still stacked below the poverty line. This bounty of resources did not become advantageous to the fishing communities. Several interventions from local government units and non-government organizations have taken place, yet the problem of the fisher’s well-being has been stagnant. This study sought to understand the fisher-buyer trade relations and how they become problematic and favorable to the buyer. This is a manifestation of the dependency theory in the local communities. Fisher folk and buyers were interviewed in a semi-structured in-depth interview to solicit data on the mechanism of the system. The system was found to be problematic and unfair to the front-liners in the fishing industry. Several solutions were proposed through the years yet many have failed. Successful cooperative formation in the fishing communities in other parts of the world could be an answer to this plague in the Philippines even if it has also been challenged through the years.