On April 22, around 200 fisherfolks marched from Sabang Fishport to the People’s Park in Calabanga, Camarines Sur to condemn the planned construction of the San Miguel Bay Offshore Windmill Project. They timed the action to the 56th Earth Day commemoration. The Tanggol San Miguel Bay Network led the protest.

The group states the Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners project, a Denmark-based company, will massively damage the environment and community livelihoods. The project will occupy 23,307 hectares of ocean for windmills. It will cover the 15 kilometers of municipal waters reserved for small local fisherfolk in San Miguel Bay.

The project will dispossess more than 6,000 fisherfolks of their livelihoods. Some residents have been gradually evicted from their lands to make way for the project.

Fisherfolks say marking Earth Day is their way of recognizing the importance of protecting the country’s natural resources for the next generation.

“We must condemn the violent ‘greenwashing,’ militarization, and environmental destruction supported by foreign companies,” the Tanggol SMB Network explained.

“Fisherfolks, farmers, workers, youth, and various organizations are collectively strengthening and amplifying the urgent call to defend San Miguel Bay and Bicol’s natural resources from plunder amid ongoing threats to climate, seas, lands, mountains, and natural resources,” Tanggol SMB Network lead organizer Jose Sotero declared.