Casting Nets, Facing Threats: The Fight for Filipino Fishermen's Rights

The Chinese Coast Guard used high-pressure water hoses to repel Filipino fishing vessels, injuring some crew members and damaging the vessels | Photo courtesy of Philippines Coast Guard | Source: SeafoodSource

August 11, 2026 – Pasay City, NCR, Philippines

Article by Nicole Denise Fajilagot

Fishing has always been more than a job for millions of Filipinos. It is a way of life passed down through generations, especially for coastal communities that depend on the sea for food and income. But today, many Filipino fishermen face serious threats not just from nature, but from human actions that put their safety, livelihood, and dignity at risk. From foreign harassment in disputed waters to displacement caused by large development projects at home, the human rights of fisherfolk in the Philippines are being tested in many ways. This article looks into these issues, using recent reports and events to show how fishermen's rights are being violated, and why this matters to every Filipino.

One of the clearest examples of these violations happens in the West Philippine Sea, where Filipino fishermen regularly face aggressive actions from Chinese maritime forces. In December 2025, three Filipino fishermen were injured and their boats were damaged after the China Coast Guard used water cannons against them near Escoda Shoal, close to Palawan (Philstar.com, 2025). Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela called the attack a serious violation of the fishermen's human rights and an insult to the country's sovereignty (Philstar.com, 2025). This was not an isolated case. Reports show that around twenty Filipino fishing boats were blasted with water cannons and blocked with dangerous maneuvers, and some of their anchor lines were even cut while the boats were caught in strong currents, putting the crews in real danger (SeafoodSource, 2025).

The Philippine government has publicly condemned these actions. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. described the attacks as “dangerous” and “inhumane,” stressing that using water cannons and cutting anchor lines against ordinary Filipino civilians goes against every country's duty to protect human life at sea (GMA News Online, 2025). These incidents are part of a pattern that has continued for years. Since China took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, Filipino fishers have reported constant intimidation, displacement, and loss of access to their traditional fishing grounds (Modern Diplomacy, 2025). Even though an international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's actions against Filipino fisherfolk violated the Philippines' sovereign rights, the harassment has not stopped, and incidents of water cannon attacks were recorded in May, June, August, September, and December of 2025 alone (Philstar.com, 2026). Human rights groups, such as the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, have called on the Philippine government to do more to protect its fisherfolk, reminding the public that the sea is not just a stage for foreign powers to compete over, but the lifeline of Filipinos who depend on it for food, work, and identity (ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, 2025).

APHR Demands Protection of Filipino Fisherfolk, Calls for an end to US-China Militarization of the Philippine Seas | Source: ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

Aside from foreign harassment, many Filipino fishermen also face threats to their rights within their own country, particularly from large reclamation projects along the coast. In Manila Bay alone, there are twenty-two approved reclamation projects out of the one hundred eighty-seven proposed nationwide, and these have already changed the lives of thousands of fisherfolk (Manila Today, 2024). In Navotas, fisherfolk leader Aron Escarial has spoken out against a reclamation project funded by a major corporation, saying that local and national governments support big businesses instead of protecting the poor communities who depend on the sea (Progressive International, 2026). Reports show that more than twenty kilometers of fishing structures in Navotas have already been torn down, affecting around twenty thousand residents who now struggle to find other sources of income (Manila Today, 2024). Some fisherfolk leaders have also said that while corporations offer scholarships to affected families, this cannot make up for the loss of livelihood that pushes many young people out of school in the first place (Manila Today, 2024).

From sea to streets: Fisherfolk demand livelihood, sovereignty, and accountability | Source: ManilaToday

The damage caused by reclamation goes beyond the loss of fishing grounds. Environmental groups warn that these projects destroy mangrove forests and wetlands that once protected coastal towns from flooding and storm surges, making communities more vulnerable to disasters linked to climate change (Earth Island Journal, 2025). A fisherfolk leader from Cavite shared how life in his community used to be peaceful with plenty of fish, but after reclamation projects began, the fish supply became unpredictable and seasonal (Earth Island Journal, 2025). In response, fisherfolk groups such as Pamalakaya have filed petitions before the courts, asking for the reclamation permits to be canceled and for fisherfolk to be allowed to return to farming mussels and other seafood in their traditional waters (Bulatlat, 2025a). Some organizers have also reported being watched and followed by unknown police and military personnel, raising concerns that speaking up for fisherfolk rights is being treated as a threat rather than a legitimate call for justice (Manila Today, 2024).

These two issues, foreign harassment at sea and displacement on land, show that Filipino fishermen face threats from multiple directions. Whether it is being blocked and injured while trying to fish in Philippine waters, or being pushed out of their homes and fishing grounds by large development projects, the common thread is the loss of basic rights to safety, livelihood, and a decent life. Advocacy groups have pointed out that environmental problems are, at their core, human rights problems, since damage to the sea and coastline directly harms the people who depend on them the most (Progressive International, 2026).

The struggles of Filipino fishermen reveal a bigger truth about how development, foreign policy, and human rights are deeply connected. Whether the threat comes from foreign coast guard ships or from reclamation projects backed by powerful companies, the people most affected are ordinary fisherfolk who only want to continue their way of life in peace. Protecting their rights means more than just issuing statements of condemnation. It means real government action to defend Philippine waters, fair compensation and support for displaced communities, and genuine dialogue with fisherfolk before major projects are approved. As Filipino citizens, understanding these issues is the first step toward supporting the fishermen who, quite literally, keep food on the tables of many Filipino families.

REFERENCES

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. (2025, January 28). Southeast Asian MPs back petition to halt Manila Bay reclamation, urge sustainable, rights-based development. APHR. https://aseanmp.org/publications/post/southeast-asian-mps-back-petition-to-halt-manila-bay-reclamation-urge-sustainable-rights-based-development/

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. (2025, June 12). APHR demands protection of Filipino fisherfolk, calls for an end to US-China militarization of the Philippine seas. APHR. https://aseanmp.org/publications/post/aphr-demands-protection-of-filipino-fisherfolk-calls-for-an-end-to-us-china-militarization-of-the-philippine-seas/

Bulatlat. (2025a, May 4). Fishers reel from the adverse impacts of Manila Bay reclamation projects. https://www.bulatlat.com/2025/05/04/fishers-reel-from-the-adverse-impacts-of-manila-bay-reclamation-projects/

Bulatlat. (2025b, April 2). Navotas fishers struggle as Manila Bay reclamation expands. https://www.bulatlat.com/2025/04/01/navotas-fishers-struggle-as-manila-bay-reclamation-expands/

Earth Island Journal. (2025). Eroding coastlines threaten the Philippines' small-scale fishers. https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/magazine/entry/eroding-coastlines-threaten-the-Philippines-small-scale-fishers

GMA News Online. (2025, December 16). PH calls out China's dangerous, inhumane acts vs Pinoy fishers near Escoda Shoal. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/969734/ph-calls-out-china-s-dangerous-inhumane-acts-vs-pinoy-fishers-near-escoda-shoal/story/

Manila Today. (2024, November 22). From sea to streets: Fisherfolk demand livelihood, sovereignty, and accountability. https://manilatoday.net/from-sea-to-streets-fisherfolk-demand-livelihood-sovereignty-and-accountability/

Modern Diplomacy. (2025, April 18). Between the tides: Traditional fishing rights and the Philippines–China maritime tensions. https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/04/18/between-the-tides-traditional-fishing-rights-and-the-philippines-china-maritime-tensions/

Philstar.com. (2025, December 14). Philippines fishermen hurt, boat damaged by China in West Philippine Sea. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/12/14/2494119/philippines-fishermen-hurt-boat-damaged-china-west-philippine-sea

Philstar.com. (2026, January 5). Philippines stands its ground against a more assertive China in West Philippine Sea. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/01/05/2498804/philippines-stands-its-ground-against-more-assertive-china-west-philippine-sea

Progressive International. (2026, January 16). Defending the environment, fighting for human rights. https://progressive.international/wire/2026-01-16-defending-the-environment-fighting-for-human-rights/en/

SeafoodSource. (2025, December). Philippines claims Chinese Coast Guard injured fishers, damaged vessels with high-pressure hoses. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/philippines-claims-chinese-coast-guard-injured-fishers-damaged-vessels-with-high-pressure-hoses