Reducing municipal waters is a bad idea

FISHERFOLK organizations and allied NGOs are alarmed by the Marcos Jr. administration's move to amend the Fisheries Code of the Philippines. "Our Fisheries Code must be revised to incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determination of fishing areas," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA). "To this end, we will seek the support of Congress to amend the Code to guarantee sustainable development of our fisheries sector in harmony with environmental balance."

It's the "determination of fishing areas" that worries. Under the existing provisions of the law, municipal waters are reserved for fisherfolk using vessels of 3 gross tons or less or no fishing vessels at all. Local government units may permit small and medium commercial vessels to operate within municipal waters, but only beyond 10 kilometers from the coastline, and certain conditions pertaining to, among others, depth of water must be present before such a permit is granted.