DA appeals SC rule allowing commercial fishing in municipal waters
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse its decision allowing commercial fishing vessels to operate in municipal waters.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. revealed this during a meeting with fisherfolk organizations on Friday.
He said the DA filed a motion for reconsideration through the Office of Solicitor General.
Laurel expressed concerns about the decision’s potential adverse effects on the livelihood of small fishers and its impact on marine ecosystems.
“At a depth of seven fathoms, or 12 meters, corals are at risk, and our scarce marine resources could face further depletion,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisementThe SC’s First Division has upheld the Malabon Regional Trial Court’s decision declaring the Fisheries Code’s preferential access provisions unconstitutional, favoring the petitioner Mercidar Fishing Corp.
Article continues after this advertisementFishers group Pamalakaya said approximately 90 percent of every municipal water would “be open for exploitation of big-fishing firms” if commercial fishing vessels were permitted to operate within the 15-kilometer municipal water zone.
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“This means only a small portion of municipal waters will be left for small-scale fishers,” Pamalakaya said in a recent statement.
