Pearl farming in the Philippines: Cultural heritage in community-centered marine protected areas
The indigenous people of the Philippines, who make up 20% of the population, face a complex and challenging situation. They find themselves at the forefront of the climate crisis, while also residing at the center of the country’s geopolitical instability.
The history of these indigenous groups is marked by the painful consequences of colonial legislation, which has led to the dispossession of ancestral lands and the erosion of rich cultural heritage. As a result, communities have become segregated and diminished, leading to the sale of ancestral land to industries, development projects, and wealthy individuals commonly referred to as ‘landgrabbers’. This has led to the rapid erosion of both tangible (such as shipwrecks) and intangible cultural heritage (such as traditional knowledge) among indigenous populations. Traditional ecological and heritage knowledge is being lost as cultural landscapes are reshaped, resulting in community instability, conflicts, and poverty. As land is reclaimed, heritage is often destroyed, and sacred sites are repurposed.
In response to these injustices, communities today must navigate a lengthy and arduous application process to obtain an ancestral domain certificate. This certificate serves as a crucial safeguard against the encroachment of industry and development on ancestral land and waters without the consent of the affected communities. By obtaining this certificate, indigenous groups can assert their rights and protect their cultural heritage, ensuring that their ancestral lands remain under their stewardship. The struggle faced by the indigenous people of the Philippines is not only a fight for their own survival but also a battle for justice, recognition, and the preservation of their unique way of life. It is a testament to their resilience and determination that they continue to navigate these challenges, seeking to reclaim and secure a future where their voices are heard and their rights are respected.
This issue is particularly pertinent in the marine zone, where the traditional heritage practices of fishing communities are under threat from activities such as oil and gas exploration, the construction of large ports and bridges, commercial fishing, coastal erosion, and rising sea levels. An example that vividly illustrates the impact of industry expansion, and how we may be a part of it, can be seen in the pearl industry. Shalom, who grew up fishing with her father in the ancestral waters of Gutob Bay, Busuanga, Philippines, shares her first-hand experience of how her community and others have been displaced due to the growth of the pearl farming industry. Pearl farming involves the suspension of cultured oysters from rafts across vast ocean areas. It takes an average of 3-4 years to cultivate a single pearl, and a considerable number of pearls, approximately 85, are required to create a 16-inch necklace. To establish pearl farms, significant portions of the ocean are developed, often through the acquisition of 25-30 year renewable water leases.
In the case of Busuanga, three pearl farms have encroached upon the ancestral waters traditionally used by five Barangays, including indigenous peoples (IP) and coastal communities. These farms are marketed as a profitable alternative to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), promoting environmental protection through community exclusion. In order to maintain the “no-take” nature of the farms, strict patrolling of area boundaries is conducted, and community access is either denied or severely limited to specific hours. As a result, the ancestral domain and traditional practices of the local and IP communities are significantly and actively restricted. The encroachment of pearl farms has disrupted the way of life for these communities, undermining their connection to their ancestral lands and limiting their ability to engage in traditional fishing practices and sustain their livelihoods.
This example serves as a poignant reminder of how industry expansion can have far-reaching causes and consequences, and how our shopping habits can have unexpected impacts on the marine environment, and the people who rely on it. The restrictions that have been imposed within Shalom’s lifetime have had significant impacts on the stability, livelihoods, and identities of the local indigenous peoples and coastal communities. These restrictions have resulted in the loss of historical navigational connections between island communities and the prohibition of traditional fishing methods such as Beetot, Bira-Bira, Bobo, and spearfishing.
To address these concerns, Shalom and others are coming together to share the lesser-known issues associated with the exploitation of the marine environment, through centering cultural heritage within equitable and community-centered marine protected areas. Collaborating with C3 Philippines and the University of Edinburgh through a Darwin Initiative funded project, community heritage resources in ancestral waters are being mapped and incorporated into customary and municipal management plans. The aim is to prioritize ecological conservation while respecting community heritage, biocultural heritage, and livelihoods.
This work is part of a recent movement to incorporate cultural heritage into marine management more efficiently and equitably, for the protection of both the environment, and people. Community-centered projects like this one are increasing in volume, and the heritage, histories, and stories of the world’s coastal communities are beginning to be listened to. We are moving away from the exclusion of all activity in the marine zone to protect the environment, and moving towards inclusive management, which not only provides space for local communities, but places local ecological and heritage knowledge center stage.
With COP28 just around the corner, the world looks to Dubai to present and discuss the most pressing climate issues facing the planet. In the Ocean Pavilion, the theme ‘Climate Justice and Empowered Voices’ hosts discussions on what we can do to decolonize the scientific method, through amplifying the voices of indigenous communities. Despite this, last year we only saw one event discussing the role of culture and heritage in ocean conservation and management. There, we asked the question, how can we fully incorporate and elevate community voices while ignoring the importance and centrality of cultural heritage to community survival? How can we have a healthy ocean, without cultural heritage? To center heritage within the climate change discussion, we need to approach the problem from a different angle. We need to fund bottom-up, sustainable work with communities over parachute-science; and share positive ocean histories and stories which can engage and inspire the general public, rather than inducing panic and blame.
This work is being tackled by international programs within the UN’s Decade for Ocean Science such as the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme. This framework pulls together people and projects working towards the integration of all forms of heritage and community into the ocean sciences, providing a platform to tell their stories, and share their research on a global stage. Part of this work includes the publication seavoice, an initiative which shares wisdom, insights, and stories from a range of diverse ocean-advocates, artists, academics, and community members, such as those told in this article.
Shalom’s story isn’t unique, but it is globally important and relevant to us all. The ocean is a part of everyone’s life, be it through providing the air we breathe, to the food we eat. By learning about the beliefs, values, and traditions of coastal communities and seafaring civilizations throughout history, we can all connect more with this life-giving force, and we can begin viewing the ocean as heritage, rather than just a resource.
Dr. Georgia Holly is an ocean scientist at the University of Edinburgh, whose research contributes to understanding, documenting, and equitably including cultural heritage within marine conservation management. Georgia manages the UN Ocean Decade Programme the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme, which provides a platform for research into how cultural heritage can contribute to the UN Decade for Ocean Science, and acts as Editor-in-Chief of seavoice, an online platform dedicated to sharing diverse ocean stories from scientists, community members, advocates, and artists.
To engage more with ocean stories such as these, subscribe to seavoice, a free magazine where diverse ocean science, stories, histories, and adventures are published quarterly. Here, you can dive into a variety of articles exploring community conservation efforts told by the communities themselves; to first-hand accounts of the ocean by marine biologists and archaeologists; to accounts of connection to the ocean through sport and art.
