“What matters is making sure local communities get their rightful share and that our seas continue to provide, not just for today, but for the years ahead.”

By Jonah Kayguan Bulatlat.com

Manila — At least 300 fisherfolks, youth, and other advocacy groups from different parts of the country participated in a combined World Ocean Day and National Fisherfolks Day observation at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Sunday, June 7.

About a hundred-strong human banner was formed at the university’s Sunken Garden shaped in the form of the number 15 to symbolize the ongoing struggle to preserve the 15-kilometer exclusive fishing grounds for municipal fishers. The event culminated in sharing sessions with fisherfolk and the public.

The event, aimed at galvanizing support for the Kinse Kilometro movement, also collected signatures for an ongoing petition calling on Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to uphold the exclusivity of the 15-kilometer municipal water zone stipulated under the revised Fisheries Code or Republic Act 10654.

“Mr. President, we, your fellow Filipinos, ask you to direct the strict enforcement of the 15-kilometer municipal water exclusivity under RA 106654, in full coordination with BFAR, the Philippine Coast Guard, the PNP Maritime Group, and local government units,” the petition read.

Now almost two years since the Supreme Court First Division upheld a Malabon RTC ruling that effectively declares exclusive municipal waters unconstitutional, the situation for small-scale fishers across the archipelago continues to worsen.

The compounding weight of commercial encroachment within municipal waters, together with the fuel crisis caused by the US war on Iran, is pushing an industry already on the brink to what may inevitably be its demise.

The situation is made worse by a prevaricating BFAR.

According to a March 2025 BFAR memorandum obtained by Bulatlat, the Bureau has practically allowed commercial fishing in FMA 5, a vast area encompassing Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Antique, and Tawi-Tawi. This despite the absence of any final and executory resolution from the Supreme Court.

While the memo specifies that only Mercidar, the commercial fishing company responsible for filing the case, is allowed to do so, things transpire differently at sea.

“Since it’s hard to know whether a commercial fishing boat belongs to Mercidar or not, those that enforce the law tend to just leave all commercial boats alone. They are either too confused or too scared,” said Pablo “Ka Pabs” Rosales, president of PANGISDA. “We all know it’s not just Mercidar operating freely. And we all know it’s not just in FMA 5.”

An increasing number of artisanal fishers are also opting to stay at shore due to the oil crisis. Because of this many small fishers suffer and the slow paced government assistance is not helping their situation, especially when it never reaches them.

“In PANGISDA, we have 10,000 members across the Philippines,” said Rosales. “Of those 10,000, half have stopped going out to sea. And we get no assistance from the government. They have the budget, but they don’t have anything to show for it. Our fishers must either find other work or go deeper into debt.”

A recent Fisheries Audit Report highlighted the desperate situation of the Philippine fishing sector. Around 88 percent of all fish stocks are reported overfished, while more than a quarter of a million fishers are in poverty and hunger. Vessel monitoring data meanwhile is not being shared by BFAR, leading some NGOs to call for more transparency from the Bureau.

At sea, tensions continue to rise as desperate small-scale fishers contend with an increasing number of commercial encroachments in municipal waters. They continue to call on BFAR and other policy makers to be more proactive on the Mercidar case.

According to sources familiar with the ongoing proceedings, a different company, Irma Fishing Corporation, is set to file another case to challenge the exclusivity of municipal waters. Irma Fishing is a large fishing company based in Malabon made famous by their extensive fleet size and galunggong operations. The company is owned by the del Rosario family, who also own Fisher Mall in Quezon City.

“We are working with different organizations, policymakers, and fisherfolk groups to preserve the exclusive fishing grounds of municipal fishers,” said Von Hernandez, OCEANA Vice President. “Laws must be passed to not only maintain preferential access, but exclusive ones.”

Last April, Palawan earned praise when Governor Amy Roa Alvarez signed Provincial Ordinance No. 3761, series of 2026. The ordinance makes Palawan the first province in the Philippines to enact a law that completely shuts out commercial fishing fleets from its 15-kilometer municipal water zone—reserving it exclusively for small-scale fishers.

“As larger commercial fishing pressures continue to affect our waters, we need to make sure that the benefits of our marine resources are felt more by our local communities and across the Palawan economy,” said Governor Alvarez. “What matters is making sure local communities get their rightful share and that our seas continue to provide, not just for today, but for the years ahead.”

When asked if cooperation between small-scale fishers and commercial fishing companies is possible, Rosales said, “We are not against commercial fishing. What we want is for the government to also lend us the same modicum of support as it does commercial fishing interests. We want the government to recognize our role as guardians of sustainable fishing traditions. If they can extend that respect and support for commercial fishing companies, why not us small-scale fishers? We just want to fish in peace and feed our families.” (RTS, RVO)

The post Calls to preserve 15-kilometer exclusive fishing zone for municipal fishers continue appeared first on Bulatlat.

From Bulatlat via This RSS Feed.