Philippines: Land reclamation puts fisheries under threat
In the Philippines, fishing communities are bearing the brunt of the government’s land reclamation projects. Faced with a decline in fish catch, their livelihoods are at risk.
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00:00We can't catch any more fish.
00:10We can't catch any more fish.
00:15The lowest catch is 10.
00:19The one that hasn't been caught yet.
00:22But now, we can't catch any more.
00:24We can only catch 2.
00:30One of the factors for that decline is the reclamation activities in the entire Manila
00:59Bay because without mangroves and other shallow water ecosystems, the survival of fish eggs
01:09into larvae and eventually into adult fish and mussels will not be supported.
01:15They are also being disturbed by the dredging activities because dredging would entail the
01:22disruption of benthic ecosystems like the sand.
01:38That usually happens when there's a project being implemented.
01:45We're anticipating the time na makomplete ito and do the numbers again para malaman namin
01:51na nawala ba siya or nabugaw lang.
02:04If what the PRA says that fish would return after reclamation, I don't think so.
02:11And if ever some of them would return, the ecosystem would be totally different.