Fisherfolk, one of the most marginalized groups in the Philippines, face a myriad of challenges, including decreasing fish yield, competition from commercial fishing, and extreme weather events.
“Here in Barili, you will often catch giant squids, while in Tañon Strait, you can catch all kinds of fish, such as gutob, galunggong, and bansikol,” 51-year-old Venerando Carbon, a fisherman from Cebu’s Barili municipality, told Rappler.
Barili, Cebu is one of the municipalities surrounding Tañon Strait, the country’s largest marine protected area.
“I have been fishing for 10 years with my father and brothers. I have 10 brothers, and most of us were able to pay for school because of fishing. Some of my brothers didn’t finish school because there were not enough fish a few years ago,” Carbon said.
An average Filipino consumes 40 kilograms a year or 109 grams a day of fish and fishery products, the country’s second staple food next to rice.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that the growing demand for fish resulted in an increase in commercial fishing vessels in the country. Commercial fishing boats have better tools and technology that compete with small-scale fisherfolk in Philippine waters.
“These commercial fishing vessels do not supply to the community, they import their fish catch from other areas. While we cannot compete in importing, our fish catch as small-scale fishers provides more than enough food to our island,” Carbon said.
But these issues faced by fisherfolk in municipalities surrounding Tañon Strait are further exacerbated by plastic pollution, forcing them to live on subsistence.