The crab women of Mabuanbuan

When the Sasmuan wetland was recognised under the Ramsar Convention in 2021, the headlines were about birds: more than 80,000 waterbirds of 63 species counted that January. But the coast has always fed people as well.

A working coast

Fishing, aquaculture and the gathering of crabs and shrimp keep many Sasmuan families going. In Barangay Mabuanbuan, a 2025 community feature documented women working with crabs brought in from the wetland, turning the catch into household income. A March 2026 study in World Aquaculture stressed the wetland's importance to small-scale fish and crab farming, and warned of pollution, habitat loss and unsustainable practices.

A sinking town

The pressures are not only ecological. Rising seas, typhoons, high tides and groundwater extraction have caused the ground to subside, and some barangays are already partly underwater.

Why it matters to visitors

Any trip to the wetlands is a visit to someone's workplace. Go with local guides and boats, respect the people at work and leave nothing behind.