Fishing for food, or fishing for exports? Drivers of fish consumption and nutritional security in Palawan, Philippines

The Philippine archipelago hosts a long range of coastlines where coral reefs provide food and livelihoods for millions of people. Despite this direct access to food sources, food insecurity is widespread in the country. Using mixed methods and an “ocean to plate” approach, we investigate the role of fish in the food and nutritional security of coastal communities in five districts of Palawan, Philippines, by analyzing the patterns of fish production, distribution and consumption. We demonstrate that: i) fish production shows large disparities per village, ranging from 79 tons to 614 tons per year, whereas average per capita consumption ranges from 51 kg to 58 kg annually, suggesting that production satisfies local demand across the districts; ii) despite this result, local communities perceive a scarcity of fish, since 34-80% of the fish produced in these districts are exported, and a large part of the population is food insecure; and iii) the consumption of reef and pelagic fish has significant correlation to higher intakes of energy, protein, and micronutrient nutrient requirements. Improving fish consumption would therefore help tackle food insecurity. Involving the communities in data collection and the discussion of these results helped us formulate management recommendations that fit their context and improves the accessibility of fish. We emphasize how our holistic approach to coastal food systems through the mobilization of diverse data sources can yield more contrasted results than those focusing on a single dimension such as production. This is crucial to the formulation of relevant management advice to thrive for equity and sustainability.