PH builds Pacific links on fisheries, climate

The Philippines used its participation in the inaugural Melanesian Ocean Summit in Papua New Guinea to strengthen not only fisheries cooperation but also its broader climate and ocean diplomacy with Pacific island states.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. led the Philippine delegation to the summit held from May 11 to 14 at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby, where leaders and stakeholders discussed sustainable maritime policies, climate resilience, marine protection, and the blue economy.

While the Philippines signed major fisheries agreements with Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands, the delegation also held bilateral talks with the Solomon Islands on fisheries management, climate mitigation initiatives, and the Philippines’ role in hosting the Loss and Damage Fund Board.

PHOTO FROM THE PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE

The Loss and Damage Fund is a climate finance mechanism created under the United Nations climate process to help vulnerable developing countries respond to the economic and non-economic losses caused by climate change. These include damage from stronger typhoons, sea level rise, ocean warming, coastal erosion, and the loss of livelihoods in climate-exposed communities.

For the Philippines and Pacific island states, the fund has direct relevance to fisheries and coastal communities. Small fishers are among the first to feel the effects of climate change through damaged boats and landing sites, destroyed fish markets, shifting fish stocks, coral reef degradation, and dangerous conditions at sea.

Potential support from the fund could help vulnerable countries rehabilitate ports and fish landing areas after storms, restore mangroves and coral reefs that serve as fish habitats, support climate-resilient aquaculture, and provide alternative livelihoods when fishing communities are hit by repeated disasters.

The Melanesian Ocean Summit also comes amid growing regional efforts to protect ocean corridors and marine ecosystems in the Western and Central Pacific. These efforts are tied to the global target of protecting 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030 and reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

PHOTO FROM PIA

For the Philippines, stronger Pacific cooperation is strategically important because tuna and other migratory fish stocks do not respect national borders. What happens in Pacific waters can affect the long-term sustainability of fish supply, processing jobs, and food security in the Philippines.

The country’s engagement with Pacific island states also allows Manila to align itself with small island developing states that are among the most vocal advocates for climate justice. Like the Philippines, many of these countries face the combined threats of stronger storms, rising seas, ocean warming, and pressure on marine resources.

The summit therefore placed the Philippines in a wider conversation: how to secure fisheries and food supply while ensuring that ocean-based economic growth does not come at the expense of coastal communities and marine ecosystems.