Pinoy fisherfolk lose livelihood due to commercial fishing, fisheries production declines

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May 28, 2026 | 5:41pm

MANILA, Philippines — With the National Fisherfolk’s Day coming this weekend, several climate and fisherfolk groups raised concerns about the loss of livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk, particularly due to the decline in fisheries production brought by El Niño and the growing presence of commercial fishing in municipal waters.

Citing a recent report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice pointed out that the fisheries production in the country declined by 15% from last year’s level, therefore affecting the income of fisherfolk.

The movement explained that the El Niño phenomenon directly impacts fisheries production.

“This would reduce the oxygen available to fish to survive in the seas, causing a drastic decline in production in fisheries and aquaculture,” national coordinator Ian Rivera said in a statement released on Wednesday, May 28.

They also noted that this decline translates into poverty among the affected sectors.

“Oceana cited that the continued decline in the nation’s fisheries, with total losses reaching 591,136 metric tons of fish since 2010, is already translating to generational poverty in the coastal communities,” their statement said. 

They also explained how the oil price hikes these past few months caused by the current tension in West Asia worsened this poverty.

“The 120% increase since the aggression started translates to up to P1,200 per 10 liters of fuel, from P400-550 back in February. Because of this, most of them would rather choose not to fish instead and look for a new source of income,” Laica Rayel, the movement’s senior campaign officer said.

Although the government provided a P3,000 one-time fuel subsidy to the sector, the group emphasized that the fisherfolk themselves say that this assistance is not sufficient to help them recover.

Commercial vs small-scale

Fisherfolk groups staged a protest at the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday morning, May 28 to condemn the ‘rapid increase’ of commercial fishing vessels in the municipal waters.

The protest, led by the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), also called out Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr., for allegedly failing to contest the SC ruling that allowed large commercial fishing operations in municipal waters.

Under the Philippine Fisheries Code, the 15-kilometer municipal water is originally reserved for small-scale fishing. However, a Supreme Court ruling in 2024 overturned this law and allowed large commercial fishing vessels to operate in these zones. 

Citing data from Karagatan Patrol, the groups emphasized that the detected commercial fishing vessels in municipal waters in March 2026 are the highest in a five-year period.

“Nagdulot ito ng malubhang epekto sa kabuhayan ng maliliit na mangingisda dahil mabilis na sinasaid ng mga malalaking bangkang pangisda ang isda at iba pang rekurso sa pangisdaan,” Fernando Hicap, the national chairperson of PAMALAKAYA said.

(It severely affected the livelihood of small-scale fisherfolk because the big vessels get all the fish and other resources in the waters.)

Hicap also pointed out the lack of concrete actions from the government, particularly from the DA and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), to resolve the issue.

“Tila pinabayaan na ng mga naturang kagawaran na dambungin ng mga kumersyal na pangisda ang tradisyunal na pook-pangisdaan ng maliliit na mangingisda,” Hicap said.

(It seems that these agencies have let the commercial fishing vessels plunder the traditional fishing sites of small-scale fisherfolk.)