Senator Francis Pangilinan has filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the growing encroachment of commercial fishing vessels into the country’s municipal waters, zones extending 15 kilometers from shore, citing threats to small-scale fishers, marine ecosystems, and food security.
The resolution, filed on July 8, questions the impact of a Supreme Court ruling that upheld a lower court decision allowing commercial vessels to operate in shallow coastal areas.
Pangilinan warned this could devastate the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos and accelerate the depletion of key fish stocks like sardines and anchovies.
“This is about more than boundaries. It’s about protecting the very communities who have long been the stewards of our seas–and ensuring that our oceans remain a source of life and livelihood, not a battleground for survival,” according to the senator.
The controversy began with an October 2023 petition by Mercidar Fishing Corp., which challenged the 15-kilometer limit and the 12.8-meter depth restriction for commercial fishing. In December, the Malabon RTC ruled in favor of the firm, calling the boundary a “political” construct with no scientific basis. The Supreme Court upheld that ruling in August 2024, citing procedural lapses by the government in its appeal.
Pangilinan’s resolution calls for a review of the scientific rationale behind the municipal boundaries and urges the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food to explore legislative safeguards.
He cited studies warning that municipal fishers stand to lose access to 98% of their traditional fishing grounds if the ruling is upheld. Already, municipal fisheries production has dropped 8.8%—from 879,960 metric tons in 2023 to 802,770 in 2024—while commercial output rose 4.2%, reaching 857,330 metric tons.
“Experts and advocates warn that unregulated access by commercial fleets will lead to overfishing, bycatch, and habitat destruction. The risk to food security, coastal livelihoods, and biodiversity is too great to ignore,” the reso stated.
The Senate inquiry aims to identify policy and legal measures to sustainably manage marine resources while protecting vulnerable fishing communities.IMT
