Fisherfolk urge Marcos to ‘protect’ municipal waters
Photo from Pamalakaya
MANILA, Philippines — Fisherfolk have urged the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “protect” municipal waters following the Supreme Court (SC) ruling that allows commercial fishing vessels to operate within the 15-kilometer municipal water zone.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), along with other fisherfolk organizations and non-government groups, marched to Mendiola, Manila on Friday to reiterate their protest against the ruling of the SC First Division.
They asked the Marcos administration “to reject the Supreme Court ruling allowing commercial fishing vessels to operate within the municipal waters.”
Photo from Pamalakaya
In his speech, Pamalakaya Secretary General Salvador France denounced Marcos for allegedly failing to respond to their calls opposing the court’s decision.
“If fully implemented, this will not only threaten the livelihood of small-scale fishermen but also harm marine resources due to the unsustainable and typically destructive fishing methods used by commercial fishing vessels,” France said in Filipino.
“Examples include trawls, purse seines (pangulong), and Danish seines (hulbot-hulbot), which damage the coral reefs on the seafloor,” he added.
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According to Pamalakaya, if the court ruling is fully implemented, approximately 90 percent of municipal waters will be opened for exploitation by large commercial fishing firms. The ruling allows commercial fishers to operate within municipal waters deeper than seven fathoms (12.8 meters).
Photo from Pamalakaya
The group also cited an initial study by a marine scientist stating that “only 10 percent of municipal waters are less than seven fathoms deep.”
In addition to Pamalakaya, several groups protested the SC ruling. These include Katipunan ng mga Kilusan ng mga Artisanong Mangingisda sa Pilipinas, Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan, and Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Mangingisda.
Other organizations joining the protest are Samahan ng mga Maliliit na Mangingisda Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura, Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka at Mangingisda, and Philippine Alliance of Tuna Handliners for Sustainability.
Also involved are the Tanon Strait Fisherfolk Alliance and the Visayan Sea Fisherfolk Alliance.
In October 2023, commercial fishing company Mercidar Fishing Corporation filed a petition before the Malabon Regional Trial Court (RTC), challenging laws that reserve coastal waters for small fisherfolk.
A month later, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asked the Malabon RTC for more time to respond to the case. On December 7, 2023, the court proceeded without the OSG’s response.
READ: Explainer: How a quiet court case threatens small-scale fishers
On December 11, 2023, the Malabon RTC ruled that granting small fisherfolk and local government units control over municipal waters is “unconstitutional.”
The OSG filed an appeal to the Supreme Court (SC) in January 2024, but it was reportedly submitted past the deadline.
The SC dismissed the appeal in August 2024, affirming the Malabon RTC’s decision to allow commercial fishing vessels to operate within the 15-kilometer municipal water zone, which was reserved for small fisherfolk./mcm
