FISHERFOLK in Talisay City, Cebu held a seaborne procession on Saturday, May 31, 2025, to protest the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision declaring as unconstitutional the preferential rights of municipal fisherfolk within the 15-kilometer municipal waters.
The protest was organized by Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa and Fishworkers Solidarity, along with its local affiliate, the Alliance of Talisay Fisherfolks, led by the Mananagat sa Talisay Pamo Association. It took place in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City.
In a press release sent to SunStar Cebu, the groups emphasized the role of artisanal municipal fisherfolk as stewards of marine resources within municipal waters, expressing concern that the recent SC ruling endangers their livelihoods.
The group said survival of artisanal fisherfolk is at risk because the SC decision threatens their fishing grounds and livelihoods.
The 15-kilometer municipal waters, which contain seagrass beds and coral reefs, serve as critical habitats and breeding grounds for marine life. Protecting these areas, the groups said, benefits both commercial and municipal fisheries.
The groups argue that the Constitution and the amended Fisheries Code mandate preferential rights for municipal fisherfolk within these waters, and that local government units are obligated to work with coastal communities in protecting and managing them.
In August 2024, the SC’s First Division issued a resolution upholding a Malabon Regional Trial Court ruling that declared these preferential rights unconstitutional. If the ruling becomes final, commercial fishing will be permitted in municipal waters deeper than seven fathoms (approximately 12.8 meters or 42 feet).
The fisherfolk warned that allowing commercial fishing in municipal waters could result in overfishing and create unfair competition for small-scale fishers — a situation that, they said, has already caused decades of poverty and hunger in coastal communities.
The groups are calling for the reversal of the SC ruling and are urging unity among stakeholders in advocating for the protection of municipal waters. They also emphasized that the government must uphold fisheries and environmental laws.
May is observed as the Month of the Ocean, with National Fisherfolk Day celebrated at the end of the month. / CAV with PR