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 amongsmall-scale fishermen in comparison with those of small and medium trawlers operating in the area are analyzed in the fourth study.