Social & Political Sciences, UTS (@uts-sps.bsky.social)

Michael Fabinyi on special protection and Philippines' fisheries Acebes, J. M. V., Fabinyi, M., Tampoy, D., Arnold, S., & Verdote, D. M. M. (2026). CITES for marine species: Interpretation, capacity and social impacts in the Philippines. Maritime Studies, 25(1), 5. doi.org/10.1007/s401...

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CITES for marine species: Interpretation, capacity and social impacts in the Philippines - Maritime Studies In recent years the number of marine species listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) has markedly increased, with substantial implications for countries with significant fisheries and trade in such species. While literature has discussed the value of CITES in improving the environmental sustainability outcomes of international trade, fewer studies have examined the social and economic drivers and effects of listings. This paper draws on data over several years to assess these features of CITES listings in the Philippines. We examine how CITES is recognised in national legislation in the Philippines, how it has been interpreted and implemented at the national level by national government agencies, and present two cases of how the impacts of CITES listings have unfolded on the ground in two municipalities of Bohol Province for mobulid and sea cucumber fisheries. We find that the listing of fishery species in CITES is characterised by a lack of clarity in interpretation and implementation in the Philippines, that government agencies have limited capacity to undertake the assessments required to support CITES provisions for certifying trade as sustainable, thus resulting in cases of bans that have had direct and significant negative social-economic impacts on fishing communities. The study recommends legal clarity on legislation in the Philippines, and greater resources for fisheries monitoring and assessments for non-detrimental findings as an alternative to automatic bans prompted by CITES listings. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40152-025-00466-5