The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a large territorial water area. It is located in the western Pacific, and bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east, Sulu and Celebes Seas to the south, South China Sea to the west and the Philippine Sea to the north. The country is endowed with rich aquatic and marine resources that significantly contribute to the country’s economic development. The Philippines is ninth fish producing (2001) countries and fourth aquaculture production (2000) countries in the world. Shrimps, tuna and seaweeds are the major export products in the fisheries sector in 2002.

The Philippine Economy was hurt less by the Asian Crisis than its neighbours. In the year 2002, the national economy grew by approx. 4.6 %. Electronics and textile products are the most important export goods.

The coast
The Philippines biodiversity is an integral part of our global heritage and one of the most important countries in the world for conserving biodiversity of life on earth. With a coastline of 17,460 kilometers and 27,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, it contains nearly 500 coral species, but only 5% of the coral reefs remain in excellent condition. It also contains more than 2000 species of fish, more than 40 species of mangrove and 13 species of seagrass. Mangroves have been reduced to 120,000 hectares from the original cover of 500,000 hectares.