Impacts of Freshwater Fish Sanctuaries on Fish and Crustacean Diversity, Catch, and Household Income of Fisherfolk in Baggao, Cagayan, Philippines

Abstract

The study was conducted from February to March 2022 to assess the impacts of fish sanctuaries on fish and crustacean diversity, catch, and income of fisherfolk in Baggao, Cagayan. Data were collected from the 59 registered fisherfolk in the study areas using a structured survey instrument and were analyzed using descriptive methods. The Shannon-Weiner Diversity and Pielou indices were computed to determine fish diversity and evenness, respectively. The results showed that the diversity indices in the three study areas were 1.91 in Duba Cave, 1.66 in Hot Spring, and 1.58 in Bluewater Falls, and the average species evenness was 0.7. Further, the major species caught include Anguillasp., Oreochromis sp., Trichopodus sp., Crenimugil sp., Macrobrachium sp., Ciprinus sp., Clarias sp., Arius sp., Chana sp., Glossogobius sp., Sundathelphusa sp., Hyphorhamphus sp., and Gambusia sp. The volume of fish catch depends on the production space in the buffer zone, the time of fishing or fishing frequency, and the fishing gears used by the respondents. The sanctuaries also served as alternative livelihood and source of income for the respondents with the development of tourism, which provided jobs (e.g., tour guides, river wardens, project monitors, and laborers) to community residents. The study's results confirmed the positive impacts of fish sanctuaries on the diversity, catch, and household income of fisherfolk.