Fishermen from Navotas City have protested the removal of their mussel farms, or “tahungan,” amid the ongoing reclamation projects and oil spills in Manila Bay.

The fishermen said in a statement that numerous man-made activities in the bay, including the continuous clearing of their “tahungan,” threaten their livelihood.

“Tahungan” is comprised of bamboo sticks buried into the seabed, providing a substrate for mussels to attach and grow.

Aaron Escorial, a Navotas fisherman, said that the removal of their tahungan was akin to treating them like pests.

“Give our rights, our justice upon the removal of our tahungan our livelihood because we are not doing any harm towards the sea,” Escorial said.

The removal of several tahungan is reportedly linked to the construction of the 650-hectare Navotas Coastal Bay Reclamation Project which is part of the development of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan.

Aside from fish, Navotas City is a major supplier of seashells to Metro Manila and nearby provinces. The mussel business has been further impacted by the recent oil spill, which forced fishermen to sell their goods at lower prices.

The fishermen also lamented the government’s slow response to the oil spill, which affected thousands of fisherfolk living around Manila Bay.