COMMERCIAL fishing is said to boost fish productivity and employment. However, these gains are generally fleeting and concentrated in a few major businesses. Overfishing has proven to cause long-term economic decline, requiring fishermen to migrate, find new jobs, or rely on government aid. Wilfredo Campos of OceanBio Lab cautions that unrestrained commercial fishing in vulnerable environments drives ecological collapse, not economic progress. Economic sustainability requires safeguarding resources for long-term usage, not exploiting them.
Fishermen and environmentalists are outraged by the Supreme Court’s decision to allow commercial fishing in municipal waterways. Fishermen, especially from Zambales, Panay, and Mindanao, oppose the judgment as a betrayal of their protection legislation. One local fisherman asked, “Kung papayagan nila ang malalaking barko, paano pa kami mabubuhay?” How will we survive if they let large vessels in? Amid dread and uncertainty, coastal communities share this sentiment.
Local government units (LGUs) are vital to municipal fisheries management and law enforcement. Their main task is implementing RA 8550 and RA 10654. However, LGUs often lack the resources and political will to enforce these regulations. Corruption and commercial fishing companies weaken these protections. To implement these regulations and protect small fishermen from commercial encroachment, enforcement procedures, marine patrol funds, and local fisherfolk groups must be strengthened.
The “precautionary principle” in environmental governance requires policymakers to be cautious when scientific evidence reveals major ecological and livelihood dangers. The risks of commercial fishing in municipal waterways are too high to ignore. Maintaining the prohibition ensures ecological balance, food security, and economic justice for millions of Filipinos who depend on the sea.
Public awareness and lobbying help ensure policies benefit the majority, not just the powerful. Universities like ISUFST and UPV, fisheries professionals, environmentalists, public servants, and grassroots organizations must continue representing small-scale fishers. Municipal water preservation is about justice, sustainability, and the future of marine resources. This affects everyone — consumers, policymakers, and citizens. Supporting UPV and ISUFST’s position papers protects marine ecosystems that sustain our nation, not only fisherfolk.
The effects of weakening marginalized laws have been felt for generations. Our municipal fishing policies today will determine whether small-scale fishermen prosper or disappear, whether marine biodiversity thrives or collapses, and whether future Filipinos inherit a thriving or barren sea. The sea, like justice, must be protected for the needy. We should maintain municipal waterways for municipal fishers since safeguarding the little ones protects us all.
***
Doc H fondly describes himself as a ‘student of and for life’ who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./PN
