Abstract
For conserving coral reefs, seagrass beds, and other marine habitats, countries along the Kuroshio Current are now implementing community-based marine resource management initiatives, including the implementation of fishery regulations, watching and warding illegal fishing activities, and the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). However, a MPA constrains local fishermen’s activities and their sources of income. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between the behavior of fishermen with regard to their choice of fishing grounds and their income levels in the case of the San Miguel Island MPA in the Bicol Region, the Philippines. Out of 1,035 households that we randomly sampled for a baseline survey, we interviewed 329 households in Sagurong and Rawis villages. Using this data, we determined equations for fishermen’s behavior in their choice of fishing grounds and their income from fishing. These two variables were mutually dependent; therefore, we tested them for endogeneity and proposed an appropriate econometric model along these lines.
