Fishing Along the Davao City Coastal Road: Narratives of Displacement

The construction of the Davao City Coastal Road has changed the lives and practices of fishing households along the coast. These changes, this study holds, are reflective of forced displacements in the guise of local development. Built as a development project for urban dwellers, the community members ask this relevant question: What is at stake with these development projects for their fishing communities as they live along the coast? Through a qualitative case study of three coastal barangays, this paper argues for the need to address the pressing issue of ecological, social, and livelihood displacements experienced by fishing communities and offer policy recommendations to address or mitigate the problems or difficulties experienced by these coastal communities. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of effective community participation in the planning and development processes to ensure that the needs and concerns of the fishing communities are adequately addressed. The study further suggests implementing measures to facilitate smooth access to the sea, ensuring safe and stable docking areas for fishing boats, and possibly enacting ordinances to protect new fish spawning grounds by utilizing the coastal road’s protective features. These recommendations are proposed to mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization projects, such as coastal roads, on the fishing communities and fine-tune support mechanisms that can forward the communities’ sustainable development.