PH fisherfolk brace to drown, scorch in looming Super El Niño, take frontline of the struggle for climate, social justice
- Media Communications
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Quezon City, Philippines — On this year’s National Fisherfolk’s Day, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) stands in solidarity with the nation’s primary food producers amid compounded negative impacts they are experiencing due to multiple crises. Data show that fisheries production in 2026 declined by more than 15% from last year’s level.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, there is a two in three chance that El Niño’s peak strength will be strong or very strong. A statement released by the UK Met Office said this El Niño is within the historical range and that scientists are considering it the strongest El Niño event so far this century, potentially comparable to some of the most impactful episodes in recent decades.
“Under the concept of multiple crises, drought due to El Niño, supercharged by the global temperature, intensifies the country’s water scarcity. This would reduce the oxygen available to fish to survive in the seas, causing a drastic decline in production in fisheries and aquaculture. PMCJ, along with other climate justice and environmental groups, has been flagging this imminent catastrophe that will worsen our already worse conditions,” said Ian Rivera, PMCJ national coordinator.
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, with more than 353,000 fisherfolk families falling below the poverty line in 2023, and more than 93,000 of them classified as food-poor or unable to afford even the most basic food requirements.
Meanwhile, as of March 2026, Octa Research found that 4.5 million or 17 percent of Filipino families experienced “involuntary hunger” in March 2026, triggered by the energy crisis resulting from the unprovoked US-Israel attacks on Iran. Since the outbreak of the war, oil prices have risen sharply, reaching a historic high of ₱160.20 per Liter.
“The crushing surge in fuel prices cuts just as deeply out at sea, completely devastating the livelihood of small-scale fisherfolk. They are experiencing a drastic increase in production expenses, resulting in little to no income. The 120% increase since the aggression started translates to up to ₱1,200 per 10 liters of fuel, from ₱400-550 back in February. Because of this, most of them would rather choose not to fish instead and look for a new source of income,” stressed Laica Rayel, PMCJ senior campaign officer on food, land, water, and climate (FLWC).
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) announced a ₱3,000 one-time fuel subsidy through the Fuel Discount for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (FDFFP). “That subsidy would only cover about four days of fishing. The crisis has been going on for months. We are barely surviving the surge of hardships, from the Masinloc coal plant to the oil crisis. This system left us no choice but to fight and change it,” said Roel Ecaruan of Lucapon North Purok 1 Looban Fisherfolks Association.
A 2016 report stated that long-term projections of global warming and extreme thermal anomalies translate into a 30% to 50% decrease in their catch and revenue if carbon emissions continue on a ‘business-as-usual’ path.
“We have officially breached the 1.5-degree guardrail, and it is also burning our seas. Droughts, heatwaves, and the El Niño phenomenon are no longer natural disasters but direct consequences of our prolonged reliance on fossil fuels and a systemic failure. We are forcing millions of small-scale fisherfolk to starve and lose their livelihood because of the government's inaction and corporations’ greed. The time is now to demand systemic and climate justice before our oceans and own plates are emptied,” Rivera said. ###
FOR INQUIRIES:
Danica Espedillon
Junior Media and Communications Office
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
For other PMCJ-related concerns, contact:
Sheila Abarra
Senior Media and Communications Officer
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
Viber: +63-991-669-2356
WhatsApp: +63-938-089-8327
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