Assessing the effects of contemporary fishing technologies on the operational efficiency of municipal fishermen: an analysis of limited technological integration
Keywords:
modern fishing technologies, municipal fishermen, operational efficiency sustainability, environmental conservation, technology subsidy and trainingAbstract
The paper explored the effects of modern fishing technologies on the operational efficiency of municipal fishermen in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, a region with a well-known marine resource and reliant on fishing as the main source of livelihood. As the pressures of overfishing and environmental change continue to increase, more sophisticated fishing technologies must be embraced to enhance productivity and sustainability in the fishing sector. A total of 30 people were interviewed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques and the sample size of the research was 15 participants representing local fishermen. The proposed subsidy and support program to be used in acquiring technology has been allocated a budget of 28 million pesos. The research found and divided the forms of modern technologies used already such as fish finder, motorized boats, advanced fishing gears, post-harvest preservation methods and digital communication means which all respondents reported their use. The analysis showed that these technologies are playing a key role in enhancing the efficiency of the catch, precision fishing, automated processing and sustainability monitoring, and real-time access to data. Moreover, the suggested subsidy program will provide a 50 percent subsidy on essential technologies, free training workshops, and access to low-interest microloans, which will eventually lead to a higher level of efficiency in operations and sustainability of the environment. This study highlights the pressing necessity of the implementation of modern technologies in the work of municipal fishermen and provides the recommendations that can be implemented to improve the life of local fishers and support sustainable fishermen management. The results highlight the possible socio-economic advantages that may be achieved in such technological solutions, which will be applied to food security and health of the future of the San Jose population in Occidental Mindoro.
References
Al-Emran, M., & Griffy-Brown, C. (2023). The role of technology adoption in sustainable development: Overview, opportunities, challenges, and future research agendas. Technology in Society, 73, 102240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102240
Barboza, A., Macusi, E. D., Borazon, E. Q., Santos, M. D., Muallil, R. N., & Nallos, I. M. (2024). Small-scale fisheries (SSF) management and conservation schemes and their application in the Philippines. Marine Policy, 161, 106018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106018
Bastardie, F., Hornborg, S., Ziegler, F., Gislason, H., & Eigaard, O. R. (2022). Reducing the fuel use intensity of fisheries: Through efficient fishing techniques and recovered fish stocks. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.817335
Bradley, D., Merrifield, M., Miller, K. M., Lomonico, S., Wilson, J. R., & Gleason, M. G. (2019). Opportunities to improve fisheries management through innovative technology and advanced data systems. Fish and Fisheries, 20(3), 564–583. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12361
Cabico, G. K. (2023). Prioritizing artisanal fishers’ conditions crucial to sustainable Philippine fisheries — report. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/climate-and environment/2023/03/05/2249497/prioritizing-artisanal-fishers-conditions-crucial-sustainable-philippine-fisheries-report
Calderwood, J. (2022). Smartphone application use in commercial wild capture fisheries. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 32(4), 1063–1083. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-022-09727-6
Cañete, F. T., Oyanedel, R., & Gelcich, S. (2021). Adoption and impacts of fishing gear innovations: Insights from a small-scale fishery in Chile. Fisheries Research, 248, 106200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106200
Chhachhar, A. R. (2025). A study of use of mobile phone for marketing purpose by fishermen of the Indus Delta. Tsinghua. КиберЛенинка. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/a-study-of-use-of-mobile-phone-for-marketing-purpose-by-fishermen-of-the-indus-delta
Del_Ad_Min. (2022). Fishing for sustainability - the promise of equitable data stewardship. The Data Economy Lab. https://thedataeconomylab.com/2022/08/11/fishing-for-sustainability-the-promise-of-equitable-data-stewardship /
Editoria. (2024, October 21). Understanding Fisheries Regulations and Compliance Standards - Laws & More. The Insurance Universe. https://lawsandmore.com/fisheries-regulations-and-compliance/
Gryczka, M. (2023). Industrial Automation: Understanding the potential disappointment behind recent global advancements. Procedia Computer Science, 225, 635–644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.10.049
Huang, C., Rice, J., Richter, A., Zhou, K., Wang, Y., Wei, C., Pagani-Núñez, E., Maleko, P. N., Zhang, X., Lee, T. M., & Liu, Y. (2024). Effects of fishery bycatch-mitigation measures on vulnerable marine fauna and target catch. Nature Sustainability, 7(11), 1535–1545. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01422-7
Islam, M. M., & Chuenpagdee, R. (2022). Towards a classification of vulnerability of Small-Scale Fisheries. Environmental Science & Policy, 134, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.03.023
Komugabe-Dixson, A. F., Bustos, E. B., Canio, A., Chacon, C., Claudino, R., De Lemos, N., Dixson, H. G. W., Joo, R., Luck, C., Matthews, K., Mejaes, A., Espinoza-Miralles, M., & Heenan, A. (2025). Capacity development for technology adoption in fisheries and conservation requires two-way learning. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 82(10). https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf142
Lucchetti, A., Melli, V., & Brčić, J. (2023). Editorial: Innovations in fishing technology aimed at achieving sustainable fishing. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1310318
Ma, W., Marini, M. A., & Rahut, D. B. (2023). Farmers’ organizations and sustainable development: An introduction. Annals of public and co-operative economy, 94(3), 683–700. https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12449
Mason, J. G., Eurich, J. G., Lau, J. D., Battista, W., Free, C. M., Mills, K. E., Tokunaga, K., Zhao, L. Z., Dickey‐Collas, M., Valle, M., Pecl, G. T., Cinner, J. E., McClanahan, T. R., Allison, E. H., Friedman, W. R., Silva, C., Yáñez, E., Barbieri, M. Á., & Kleisner, K. M. (2021). Attributes of climate resilience in fisheries: From theory to Practice. Fish and Fisheries, 23(3), 522–544. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12630
Miola, L., Muffato, V., Sella, E., Meneghetti, C., & Pazzaglia, F. (2024). GPS use and navigation ability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of environmental psychology, 99, 102417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102417
Muallil, R. N., Mamauag, S. S., Cababaro, J. T., Arceo, H. O., & Aliño, P. M. (2014). Catch trends in Philippine Small-Scale Fisheries over the last five decades: the fishers׳ perspectives. Marine Policy, 47, 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2014.02.008
Rowan, N. J. (2022). The role of digital technologies in supporting and improving fishery and aquaculture across the supply chain – Quo Vadis? Aquaculture and Fisheries, 8(4), 365–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaf.2022.06.003
Siddiqui, S. A., Singh, S., Bahmid, N. A., & Sasidharan, A. (2024). Applying innovative technological interventions in the preservation and packaging of fresh seafood products to minimize spoilage - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon, 10(8), e29066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29066
Stewart, C., Bennett‐Fakahau, I., Nada‐Raja, S., & Stewart, K. (2024). Exploring the relationship between trout fishing and wellbeing: insights from Aotearoa New Zealand trout anglers. Kōtuitui New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 20(1), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/1177083x.2024.2347409
Tabanao, E. G., V. (2025). What’s next for fishermen? Examining future maritime trends and industry sustainability. Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14988773
Tolentino-Zondervan, F., & Zondervan, N. A. (2022). Sustainable fishery management trends in Philippine fisheries. Ocean & Coastal Management, 223, 106149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106149
Victor. (2023, April 22). 57 Applications of GPS: The Ultimate guide for navigation, safety, and scientific research | Spatial Post. Spatial Post. https://www.spatialpost.com/applications-of-gps/#google_vignette
Yu, M., & Liu, X. (2024). A new approach to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing: analysis of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. Marine Development, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-024-00023-4
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Leonardo D. Reyes, Baby Joy Navaja, Janalynn A. Dianora, Jhon Michael C. Sordilla, Jaybee P. Briones, Hydee E. Feliciano, Abigail B. Cagayat, Quennie Dianne D. Patacsil, Brix Windel P. Sobremonte, Dr. Jason G. Ramirez (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
