Negros Occ. legislators seek reversal of SC ruling on municipal waters
BACOLOD CITY — The Provincial Board of Negros Occidental has called on national government agencies to take immediate action against a Supreme Court (SC) ruling that allowed commercial fishing in municipal waters.
In a resolution dated Feb. 25, local legislators stressed the need for urgent action to safeguard the rights of municipal fishers, as well as to protect fisheries and marine resources.
“The decision threatens the livelihoods of over two million small fisherfolk in the country, including those in Negros Occidental who rely on municipal waters for their daily sustenance and economic survival,” it said.
“Unregulated commercial fishing in municipal waters will deplete fish stocks, degrade marine ecosystems, and undermine local conservation efforts that have been successfully implemented by local governments and fisherfolk organizations,” it added.
The Provincial Board reaffirmed its commitment to protect the more than 45,000 marginalized municipal fisherfolk with 472 fisherfolk associations in the 25 coastal cities and municipalities covering 187 barangays of Negros Occidental.
“It is imperative for the province of Negros Occidental to take a strong stand in support of its municipal fisherfolk and advocate for the protection of fisheries resources for future generations,” it said.
Article continues after this advertisementNegros Occidental is the second local government in the Visayas to go against the high court’s ruling on allowing commercial fishing to operate in municipal waters.
Article continues after this advertisementLast Feb. 21, the Iloilo provincial government submitted documents to the SC to intervene in the case.
The Provincial Agriculture Office of Iloilo started compiling position papers from 19 coastal municipalities, fisherfolk groups, and stakeholders to build a collective case against the decision.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, for his part, clarified that the province would not file an appeal before the SC.
Instead, Negros Occidental would ask the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Justice to represent the small fisherfolk.
“The local government units hope that their position will be heard by the Supreme Court but it is really up to the national government to represent the fisherfolk,” he said in an interview on Feb. 25.
“We will just make it known that we are behind the small fisherfolk and we will see what we can do to get back the old law which prioritized municipal fisherfolk and regulated commercial fishing operations within those waters,” he added.
According to the governor, the decision threatens the livelihood of small fisherfolk, as well as the billion-peso blue crab industry.
“It will only benefit big players, the commercial fishers, to the detriment of the small fisherfolk,” Lacson said.
On Dec. 19, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a decision that removed the 15-kilometer municipal water demarcation, which had prioritized municipal fisherfolk and regulated commercial fishing operations within those waters.
Lacson said there is a need to protect the rights of municipal fisherfolk by advocating for the continued preferential access of small-scale fishers to the 15-kilometer municipal waters.
These waters, he said, are vital for the livelihood of more than 45,000 marginalized fishing communities with 472 fisherfolk associations in the 25 coastal cities and municipalities of Negros Occidental covering 187 barangays, ensuring food security, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable fisheries management.
