Fisherfolks seek climate justice

When waves are high and winds are gushing, small-scale fishermen have no choice but to remain offshore and wait for the sea to calm. This means no fish catch and no food for the family.

With consecutive typhoons pestering the country, this also means weeks’ worth of empty stomachs, along with damaged homes and lost properties.

In Zambales, fisherfolks reported that after days of not being able to fish because of typhoon “Kristine,” they continued to have empty pockets with no earnings because of the recent coal spill in Masinloc-Oyon Bay.

The declining fish catch and little to no livelihood for fisherfolks highlight the critical degradation of the marine ecosystem.

As mentioned in a study in 2020 on the impact of coal-fired power plants on fisheries, ash from coal plants that contains heavy metals contaminates the air, soil and water. When ingested, the heavy metals concentrate on the fish’s liver, kidney and gills leading to multiple problems and even death. When consumed, heavy metals can cause cancer, organ failure and even death.

Aside from extreme weather events affecting the lives and livelihoods of small-scale fishers, development aggression and environmentally degrading projects such as mining and reclamation further worsen their conditions.

A Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council official in Cagayan reported there is a reduction in fish yields because of black sand mining. He noted that at least 15,000 fisherfolks were affected by this.

In San Felipe, Zambales, at least 17 ships owned by Chinese companies run over fishing nets, destroying not only the fishing grounds but also their fishing tools.

Meanwhile, almost 18,000 fisherfolks in Zambales need support from the government, according to reports in April. Similarly, fisherfolk in Navotas City call for rehabilitation of their fishing ground as they rally their fight against the 650-hectare reclamation project that causes disturbance of marine ecosystems and barriers to municipal waters.

A fishermen from Cavite reported losing over 80 percent of their daily income “because the reclamation projects damaged major fishing grounds and fishing habitats, including mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass.”

“If the seas could talk, it would plead the fish’s loss of habitat and the fisher’s rumbling stomachs. We must protect the municipal waters if we want to combat the climate crisis. This being part of the planet’s largest carbon sink is our key to mitigating the warming of the planet,” one fishermen said.