How LNG Threatens Fisherfolk on the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Philippines

The Verde Island Passage in the Philippines is the Center of the Center of Marine Shore Fish Biodiversity in the world. It is the heart of the Coral Triangle and home to more than 1,700 shore fish species—more than anywhere else on Earth.

Meanwhile, along the U.S. Gulf Coast in Louisiana, communities are fighting against the expansion of liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities. These projects threaten the region’s culture, environment, and the livelihoods of fisherfolk who rely on the Gulf’s waters for seafood like crabs, shrimp, and gumbo.

This edition of “Protect This Place” is produced in collaboration with the Climate Listening Project. Their short film highlights the shared struggles of communities on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, both facing the impacts of gas development.

Pollution and Ecological Damage in the Philippines

A recent oil spill in the Verde Island Passage left behind oily residue that affected water, wildlife, and local communities. The passage connects the South China Sea to the Sibuyan Sea and is a critical marine ecosystem. Pollution from gas import projects threatens this biodiversity hotspot, endangering the fish species that sustain local fisherfolk.

Fossil Fuel Pollution in Louisiana

In Lake Charles, Louisiana, the air is often thick with smoke from fossil fuel refineries. Signs warn that pollution has infiltrated local seafood, including crabs. The region’s fisherfolk, like those in the Philippines, are on the frontlines of environmental degradation caused by gas export development.

LNG from Lake Charles is transported by ship, sometimes traveling from the Gulf of Mexico through the Panama Canal into the Atlantic Ocean, and onward to the Coral Triangle. This global supply chain connects the struggles of communities in Louisiana to those in the Philippines.

Community Leaders Fighting for Justice

Five years ago, Roishetta Ozane, founder of the Vessel Project of Louisiana, hosted a community listening meeting in Lake Charles. Ozane works to educate and mobilize communities in southwest Louisiana on environmental justice, bringing together people from Texas to Japan, the Philippines, Canada, and beyond.

Ozane’s efforts have included traveling to Washington, D.C., to join Jane Fonda for Fire Drill Friday. Fonda has also featured Ozane and other frontline heroes in the new film “Gaslit.”

Through her work, Ozane amplifies the voices of fisherfolk and communities affected by LNG development, advocating for clean energy, clean air, and healthy ecosystems.