Summary
In 2015, two Philippines residents, in separate cases, attempted to represent “resident marine mammals,” including toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other cetacean species, that live in the ecosystem of the Tañon Straits. The stewards challenged a legal decision allowing oil exploration in the Tañon Straits, claiming it reduced the amount of fish within the Tañon Straits. The court agreed that the plaintiffs had standing to sue. The court also canceled the oil company’s contract and all permits related to oil exploration in the Tañon Straits.