Fishers urge UN climate rapporteur to back calls for reclamation ban, 'loss and damage' compensation

MANILA, Philippines — A fisherfolk group has urged a United Nations special rapporteur to echo its calls to the Philippine government to ban destructive reclamation projects and to offer “loss and damage” compensation to fishers affected by corporation-induced environmental degradation.

In a position paper, fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) submitted recommendations geared at “(safeguarding) the rights of fisherfolk” and their “right to a healthy and balanced ecology” to Ian Fry, the first special rapporteur on human rights in the context of climate.

PAMALAKAYA urged Fry to recommend to the Philippine government a ban on destructive activities like land conversion, reclamation and unregulated expansion of aquafarms and eco-tourism zones.

The group also wants a form of “loss and damage compensation” system that provides “regular and sufficient subsidies to fisherfolk who continue to bear the brunt of the degraded environment and ecosystem, and a long-term rehabilitation and restoration plan.”

It also included calls for justice for fisherfolk who became victims of extrajudicial killings. 

“We have recorded nine fisherfolk victims of extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration. All cases were related to advocacies in protecting the marine environment and advancing fishing rights,” PAMALAKAYA said.

Fry is in the Philippines until November 15 to study the impact of climate change on local communities in Manila, Valenzuela City, Leyte, and Iloilo City and to consult with government and members of civil society. 

He is set to submit to the UN Human Rights Council a report of his findings in June 2024. The Philippines is the third country Fry has visited following his trips to Bangladesh and Honduras.

On November 9, Fry met with fisherfolk from Baseco to learn about the impact of climate change on coastal communities. 

PAMALAKAYA Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo said that Baseco fishers were “existing proof” of how Manila Bay reclamation activities affect both marine resources and the people — members of the urban poor and fisherfolk — who depend on these.

“Baseco’s coastal community is an existing proof of how reclamation projects across Manila Bay further the climate change-induced ecological disturbances including but not limited to sea-level rise, marine resources degradation, and prolonged flooding,” Arambulo said.

PAMALAKAYA said that it hopes that Fry’s meetings with local communities would lead to the submission of a “recommendatory report” to the Marcos administration on urgent actions needed to combat the climate crisis.

Similarly, environmental organization Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP), which also met with Fry along with other groups, urged him to “listen to the stories of the communities" during his nine-day visit. 

Besides a stronger climate education, YACAP spokesperson Mitzi Jonelle Tan also stressed the need for “loss and damage reparations from both Filipino companies and multinational corporations that have profited from environmental degradation and contributed to the climate crisis.” 

"It is clear that our government now is not the climate champion that it claims it is. They have prioritized militarization and destructive projects over true environmental protection and proactive responses to prepare the country for extreme weather events,” Tan said.

The Philippines is among the countries most affected by extreme weather events and one of the most vulnerable to sea level rise, with more than half of its cities and communities located along coasts. — Cristina Chi with reports by Gaea Katreena Cabico