Fishing areas’ demarcation raised during Fisheries Code amendment consultations — BFAR

The demarcation of fishing areas, which would involve further delineation between commercial and municipal waters, was among the issues raised in consultations on the proposed amendment of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

The consultations are being conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). 

"Our role is just to ensure the voice of the stakeholders is being considered in amending the Fisheries Code, and right now, we are doing a consultation process to actually consolidate all the sentiments of the stakeholders pertaining to the amendment of the Fisheries Code," BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said at a press briefing in Quezon City on Thursday. 

"Maraming issues na lumalabas sa consultations. And yes, napag-uusapan ‘yung tungkol doon sa demarcation ng commercial waters at doon sa municipal waters," he added. 

(A lot of issues are being raised. And yes, the demarcation between commercial waters and municipal waters is being discussed.)

Amending the Fisheries Code was among the legislative priorities mentioned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.

Without specifying what provisions should be revised, Marcos called on lawmakers to "incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determination of fishing areas" in a bid to "protect both the interests of our fisherfolk and our fisheries and aquatic resources."

Linacapan, Palawan, Mayor Emil Neri said he was worried about amending the Fisheries Code as this would spell the expansion of commercial waters to the detriment of small local fisherfolk.

"Worried kami sa amendment. Ngayon, nasa 15 kilometers ‘yung layo na doon lang dapat ‘yung commercial fishing. Ang plano yata is ilapit ng 10 kilometers, so ‘pag nilapit nila ng 10 [kilometers] ‘yan… ‘pag nilapit nila ng 10, lahat ng island municipalities ay magsa-suffer," Neri said.

(We are worried about the amendment. Now, there is a distance of 15 kilometers that should be for commercial fishing. I think the plan is to bring it closer to 10 kilometers, so if they bring that to 10 [kilometers]… all the island municipalities will suffer.)

"Ang magiging kakompentensya na ng malalaking commercial fishing companies na ‘yan ay ‘yung mga local fisherfolk… Galawin na lahat ‘wag lang ‘yung sa 15 kilometers na distance," the municipal mayor said.

(The competitors of those large commercial fishing companies will be the local fisherfolk… Revise everything, but not the 15-kilometer distance.)

The Fisheries Code provides that commercial fishing vessels are only allowed to operate within a 15-kilometer area from the shoreline in municipal waters.

The law also gives jurisdiction over municipal waters to the municipal or city government.

The Fisheries Code was first amended in February 2015 through Republic Act 10654 to "prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing."

Briguera said that the Fisheries Code is already ripe for an amendment to meet the needs of the current situation.

Responding to the call of the President to make the fisheries governing law "science-based," the BFAR official said the direction of the amendment was to "see to it that the provisions of the Code are actually based on science."

He said that the agency expects to finish the consultation within the year so the law can be amended early next year, "depending on the course of deliberations in the Senate and House of Representatives."  —VBL, GMA Integrated News