ILOILO — Only 12 Irrawaddy dolphins remain in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait, putting the critically endangered population dangerously close to disappearing from the area and underscoring the urgency of protecting Western Visayas’ increasingly threatened marine ecosystems.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Office 6 (BFAR-6) sounded the alarm as it launched Fish Conservation (FishCon) Week 2026 on September 15 at the SM Iloilo Central Market, stepping up its campaign against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing while strengthening protection of critical coastal habitats.
The remaining Irrawaddy dolphins constitute a resident subpopulation in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait. With only 12 individuals left, BFAR-6 warned that every dolphin has become crucial to the population’s survival.
Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are a distinctive species of dolphin found primarily in shallow coastal waters, estuaries and some freshwater river systems in South and Southeast Asia. Unlike the familiar long-snouted dolphins, they have rounded foreheads, no pronounced beak and relatively small dorsal fins. They live close to shore, making them particularly vulnerable to human activities, including accidental entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation and other disturbances.
The species faces serious conservation threats across its range, while the small resident population in the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait is considered particularly vulnerable.
In response, BFAR-6 is rallying communities and stakeholders behind its new initiative, “Buddy System: Protecting the Irrawaddy Dolphins of Iloilo-Guimaras Strait.”
The agency stressed that protecting the dolphins goes beyond wildlife conservation because their survival is closely tied to the health of the marine ecosystem that sustains coastal communities and fisherfolk.
The dwindling dolphin population comes as BFAR-6 confronts another major threat to Western Visayas waters — IUU fishing, which the agency considers among the most serious dangers to marine security and coastal food sustainability.
BFAR-6 Regional Director Remia Aparri said declining fish stocks in regional fishing grounds have created economic pressures on coastal communities.
As fish yields decline, vulnerable fisherfolk suffer reduced incomes, pushing some toward prohibited fishing methods such as the use of fine-mesh nets, active fishing gear in municipal waters and blast fishing.
Aparri stressed that enforcement alone cannot eliminate illegal fishing without addressing the economic conditions that drive some fisherfolk toward destructive practices.
BFAR-6 is therefore combining stricter maritime enforcement with livelihood assistance and capacity-building programs aimed at helping coastal families shift toward sustainable fishing practices.
Municipal Bantay Dagat units are receiving specialized training, tactical assistance and operational equipment to improve surveillance and enforcement in municipal waters.
BFAR-6 has also joined forces with local government units, the Philippine Coast Guard and regional law enforcement agencies in conducting targeted seaborne patrols against illegal fishing and unauthorized commercial fishing operations encroaching on municipal waters.
At the community level, the agency is pursuing continuous dialogue, livelihood assistance and other economic interventions intended to encourage compliance with fisheries laws and help non-compliant fishers transition to sustainable practices.
This year’s FishCon Week also places particular emphasis on protecting three crucial coastal ecosystems — seagrass beds or lusay, coral reefs or korales, and mangroves or bakawan.
The campaign carries the theme, “Lusay, Korales, at Bakawan: Yaman ng Karagatan, Masaganang Buhay ng Pamayanan,” emphasizing the connection between healthy marine habitats, sustainable fisheries and food security.
BFAR-6 also recognized partner local government units for their implementation of the Fisheries Scholarship Program, which provides educational opportunities to fisherfolk youth.
Iloilo market vendors, meanwhile, received post-harvest equipment such as heavy-duty banyeras or fish tubs, insulated thermo chests and weighing scales to preserve seafood quality and minimize post-capture losses.
Municipal fisherfolk are also being enrolled in capacity-building workshops and alternative livelihood programs intended to provide additional sources of income, particularly during the fishing off-season.
For BFAR-6, the fight against illegal fishing, the protection of seagrass beds, coral reefs and mangroves, and the effort to save the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait’s remaining Irrawaddy dolphins are part of the same battle.
By combining enforcement, ecosystem protection and economic assistance, the agency hopes to turn coastal communities hardest hit by declining marine resources into frontline guardians of Western Visayas’ seas./PN