Land Tenure, Small-Scale Fisheries, and Vulnerability in Coastal Palawan, Philippines

Small-scale fisheries in the Philippines are characterized by various practices, diverse social identities, and multiple challenges that affect fishers’ well-being. While studies have identified various forms and causes of fishers’ vulnerabilities, less well studied is the role of insecure land tenure in shaping vulnerabilities. Using qualitative methods including seventeen focus group discussions and twenty semi-structured interviews, we investigated the case of migrant fishers situated in six villages in a coastal municipality in Palawan province. The study found that fishers live in geographically disadvantaged locations where they negotiated different land tenure arrangements with the landowners. These locations are significantly linked to poor access to safe drinking water, increased economic cost, and constant threat of eviction. Our study highlights the role of weak land tenure as a significant underlying driver of vulnerability for small-scale fishers, and one that functions as a mechanism for further marginalization in the context of emerging coastal squeeze. In the context of implementing global commitments under the FAO Small Scale Fisheries Guidelines, we suggest that interventions to reduce fishers’ vulnerabilities should include a clear and enforceable tenurial instrument or property right over coastal and foreshore lands for fishing communities.