Bridging the Gap
Fisheries and aquaculture in Iloilo in the early 1900s
Fishing was already flourishing in Iloilo long before the coming of the Spaniards due to the abundance of marine life in the area. There is no sufficient evidence, however, that the natives were already engaged in deep-sea fishing at that time. Most likely, the Ilonggos were largely coastal fishermen but this did not really pose a problem in taerms of catch because of the richness of the sea. Fishing in the sea was carried out using paddle- or sail-powered barotos. What they used in catching fish and crustaceans were hook-and-line, nets, and traps made of bamboo.
All throughout the Spanish period, fishing continued to flourish because of the increasing demand due to an upward trend in population. Fishing methods remained practically the same. Also, the activity remained a major source of livelihood for many of the inhabitants of the province.
In the early years of the American rule, no change was observed in fishing methods used in Iloilo (Palma 1972). The traditional methods remained in popular use, although along the coast large punot or fish corrals were already widely used while oar-powered sapyaw was for deeper water. Many varieties of fish were caught regularly but the mainstay of the industry was tuloy or oil sardines (sardinella longiceps). Surplus fish caught was either dried under the sun, canned, cooked in vinegar, or packed in salt.
Commercial fishing was growing during this period but was dominated by the resident Chinese boat owners and dealers. They had the advantage over the natives because of their capital. There was also a significant development in fish culture at this time. With the establishment of the American regime, fish culture as an applied science gained foothold in the country (Francisco 1960). This was given impetus by the increasing population and the continued demand for fish.
By the 1920s, the fishpond industry began to expand rapidly. Tidal mangrove swamps were found to be highly favorable sites and fishpond operators began converting these swamps into fishponds. Moreover, freshwater marshes and areas along springs, irrigation canals and foreshore lands where adequate water was available were also developed for fishpond purposes. This was especially apparent in the northeastern coastal towns of Iloilo.
Unlike the Spaniards, the Americans showed more concern to the fishing activity by initiating programs aimed to lift the industry on its feet. Under the Philippine Rehabilitation Program of 1905, for instance, fishing was given emphasis being one of the industries involved with the production of food.
The American period witnessed the northeastern section of Iloilo – Carles, Balasan, Estancia, San Dionisio, and Concepcion – as a fishing center of the region. What probably gave impetus to this was the development of commercial fishing in the area which started during the closing decade of the 19th century. Because of the considerable production of fish in this part of the province during the 1920s and the 1930s, the area was dubbed as the "Alaska of the Philippines" due to the huge schools of sardines and mackerels available on its shores. Probably, because most of fish landings were done in the port of Estancia, David Szanton, and American researcher-writer, who wrote Estancia in Transition (1971) had attributed the title alone to Estancia.
Unfortunately, there is no exact fish production record related to the early 1900s. Nevertheless, fish landings in northeastern Iloilo obviously rose very significantly due to the entrance of many fishing outfits. Many varieties of fish were caught regularly but the mainstay was the tuloy which was very abundant, especially during its season. Thus, it was even said that because there were not enough buyers, sometimes large quantities of fish were just dumped into the sea. Indeed, that was the time when northeastern Iloilo was known as the "Alaska of the Philippines".