To examine the possibility of incorporating fishing communities into the Bicol River Basin Development Program, five studies were conducted in the San Miguel Bay area. Data were gathered from interviews with 641 fishing households and were supplemented by observing participants over a 2-year period. The first three studies analyze, respectively, the socioeconomic characteristics of fishing communities; the seasonality of fishing, processing, and marketing; and the economic role of women and children. Variations in sharing systems and patterns of gear ownership among small-scale fishermen in comparison with those of small and medium trawlers operating in the area are analyzed in the fourth study. Notable differences were found in concentration of ownership, presence of non-economic relationships between owners and crewmen, and flexibility of sharing arrangements. These differences are discussed in terms of existing legal definitions of "municipal" and "commercial" fisheries. The final study considers fishermen's perceptions of problems affecting small-scale fisheries in the area - mainly declining production - and the solutions proposed by the fishermen: improved fishing boats and gear and regulation of trawlers.