HRC58: EHRDs, including fisherfolk, still at risk for protecting the environment, biodiversity

Protecting the ocean with a human rights approach 

On 14 March, the Special Rapporteur on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes, presented her thematic report to the Human Rights Council, focusing on the ocean and human rights. She emphasised that the ocean is facing critical challenges: poor governance, unsustainable fishing practices, and threats against environmental human rights defenders, including those protecting the ocean.

To address these issues effectively, Puentes stressed the need for a coordinated, rights-based approach centred on sustainability and the protection of human rights. Among the priorities she outlined were securing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and fisherfolks, including their traditional practices; protecting marine areas, and preventing pollution. She also emphasised the need to focus on the responsibilities of business and to adopt measures to make them accountable.  

More ambitious actions on the protection of environmental defenders by the Council

During the interactive dialogue, over 45 States delivered a statement that highlighted the important and brave work environmental human rights defenders do in the protection of the environment, including the ocean. States highlighted the positive and legitimate role on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, but it also recognised that their work often leads to them being to face extrajudicial killing, arbitrary detention, and criminalisation. The statement also called on the HRC to ‘step up’ its efforts to better protect and empower environmental human rights defenders as well as ensuring their safe and effective participation in international environmental fora, including UN conferences like COP 30 in Brazil.   

Business activities in Guatemala have dire consequences on the environment and the marine biodiversity 

Doris Ramírez, a fisherwoman from Guatemala, also made a statement during this interactive dialogue calling on Guatemala to abide by its obligations, secure the protection of marine biodiversity, the traditional rights of fisherfolk and the protection of those who are protecting the environment:

We welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur and agree on the importance of protecting the traditional rights of artisanal fisherfolk, as well as the ocean and its biodiversity.   

My name is Doris, I am a fisherwoman from the southern coast of Guatemala, where we have traditionally lived from fishing for generations. However, shrimp, sugar cane, banana and palm oil companies have dumped their chemical waste in the estuaries and rivers that end up reaching the seas, polluting, killing and reducing the amount of fish. The shrimp industry has destroyed mangroves and introduced a bug that is killing fish and other species. In addition, monocultures are drying up natural and artisanal wells because the plantations require a lot of water. This situation affects more than five thousand fishing families on the southern coast.   

As we are traditionally fisherfolk, we find it very difficult to find other livelihoods, like accessing to land to cultivate, as we do not have our own land. This situation could be worse as the government is trying to pass a water law without consulting the fishing communities or Indigenous People, which will end up benefiting the companies. Several fisherfolk who have defended their rights have been criminalised by legal procedures initiated by some companies.   

 We call on Guatemala to:  

• Adopt the biodiversity and ancestral knowledge law that would protect all species including fish;  

• Include communities in the discussions of the water law and protect artisanal forms of fishing. 

• Conduct environmental impact assessments to know the consequences of business activities and repair damages they created;  

• Stop the harassment and criminalisation of fisherfolks who defend their rights.