Too hot to fish by 9 AM: El Niño burns fisherfolk

Filipino fisherfolk are reporting skin disease, eye damage, and heat stroke as the “Super” El Niño drives up ocean temperatures, prompting calls for government support that goes beyond cash aid.

Ocean conservation group Oceana and fisherfolk organizations urged the government to put in place stronger social protection and adaptation measures, saying the usual ayuda or cash subsidy for poor fishers is not enough.

El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by increased ocean temperatures over a prolonged period.

Fisherfolk leader Aya Gatuslao said fishers off the coast of Himamaylan in Negros Occidental now sail out in the early morning and cut their fishing time by several hours to escape the extreme heat.

“Nagkakasakit sila sa balat. Nagkakabitak-bitak ang mga balat nila. Prone sila sa heat stroke. May isa akong member, nasira na ang mata dahil sa reflection ng araw sa tubig,” said Gatuslao. “Maaga silang lumalaot dahil pag past 9:00 na ng umaga, masakit na sa balat.”

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) confirmed that El Niño conditions emerged in the tropical Pacific on June 9, 2026.

Experts say the event, colloquially called the “Super” El Niño, is on track to become the strongest on record, with unprecedented ocean heat levels that also raise the likelihood of extreme weather across the Pacific.

PAGASA had also predicted that it may intensify into a very strong El Niño and persist into the first half of 2027.

That threshold has since been crossed, with the agency’s Nov. 4 status update classifying the event as very strong and placing its likely peak at the end of 2026.

The last El Niño, in 2023-2024, coincided with record-high global temperatures and widespread climate impacts.

Scientists have warned that prolonged warming of ocean waters can affect the abundance, distribution, migration, and spawning patterns of fish and other marine species.

Marine heatwaves can also contribute to coral bleaching and the degradation of critical marine habitats, which could cut fisheries productivity and the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on marine resources.

Beyond the harm already being done to the health and livelihood of local fisherfolk, Oceana said a very strong El Niño also stands to hurt fisheries in the long term.

Marlon Limboc, a local Bantay Dagat leader in Nasugbu, Batangas, appealed to the government for alternative livelihood while the country goes through the exceptionally strong phenomenon.

“Wala pang El Niño, ilan na ang mga namamatay nating mga mangingisda dahil sa heat stroke. Sa laot, minsan nakikita naman natin nakasakay sa bangka, patay na. Lalo ngayon,” said Limboc.

“Masakit na para sa ating mga mangingisda, hindi na po talaga sila dapat mag-attempt lumaot. Pero dahil nga dala ng kahirapan, nagpipilit pa rin sila. Kung may alternatibo tayong hanap buhay na pwedeng ilaan, sa panahon na ito ay nakakaepekto, tulungan nyo po kami. At tinitiyak naman namin na pagyayamanin namin anuman ng proyektong ibigay nyo sa amin dahil ito’y magsisilbing kabuhayan ng aming mga mangingisda,” he added.

Oceana Vice President Von Hernandez called on the government to look past cash handouts and adopt sustainable, cohesive measures to support fishers.

He directed the appeal at the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR).

“The impacts are already being experienced in our coastal communities, yet the government remains fixated on cash handouts and band-aid fixes over longer-term adaptation measures,” said Hernandez. “Instead of allowing losses to unfold with every disaster, the DA-BFAR should redouble its efforts and investments in diversifying fisherfolk livelihoods, restoring marine habitats, and implementing measures that protect both our oceans and the economic future of our fisherfolk.”

Of the government’s PHP 61.99 billion El Niño action plan for 2026, a program built around farmers and the agriculture sector, PHP 14 billion had yet to be released as of early November.

Lawmaker Wilfrido Mark Enverga has pressed the Department of Agriculture to speed up the release of that balance.

PAGASA projected that El Niño would cause an extended dry season in the long term.

Despite generally drier conditions, the agency said other weather systems and tropical cyclones may still bring episodes of heavy rainfall in the latter part of the year.

El Niño and climate

El Niño occurs naturally, but stacking its warming effect onto a planet already heated by climate change can have a significant impact.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the strong El Niño of 2023-2024 added a temporary warming effect on top of a long-term warming trend.

That contributed to 2024 becoming the hottest year on record.

In a Sept. 3 update, the WMO rated the current event’s survival through February 2027 as almost certain, at nearly 100%.

Oceana said it supports fisheries management programs that give fishers respite from prolonged fishing hours and make spawning grounds healthier and more climate-resilient.

It cited the municipality of Daram, Samar, which has developed alternative livelihood programs such as mussel and crab production and salt farming.

Those programs give traditional fishing grounds time to recover while ensuring fishers have income to bring home to their families.

Oceana commended communities that are creating their own solutions but said the national government needs to step up and shield Filipino fishers from the destructive effects of warming waters.

The group said the vulnerable sector should not have to take the heat on its own. (Oceana)