By by Tiffany Xu
In an organized act of resistance, fishers fight law with the law.
Last Oct. 20, militant fisher group PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas joined Makabayan lawmakers in filing a bill that will reclaim their municipal fishing rights lost to a two-year-old Supreme Court ruling.
The 2023 ruling won in favor of commercial-scale Mercidar Fishing Corporation, sought to nullify provisions of the Fisheries Code (RA 8550) which would in turn allow commercial operators to fish in waters within the first 15 kilometers.
House Bill 5606 or the Atin Ang Kinse Kilometro Bill seeks to recognize the exclusive rights of small-scale fisherfolk. It defines the historical basis of the municipal water classification in relation to ecological and equitable approaches towards marine resource utilization.
Under RA 8550, the said 15-km waters are designated as the municipal zone, prohibiting large-scale, ‘active’ or aggressive fishing gears typically owned by commercial operators weighing 3 gross tons (GT) or more.
If passed, the repealing clause in Section 14 of the bill effectively considers any contradicting law or formal issuance void.
House of Representative lawmakers under the Makabayan bloc include the first nominees from ACT Teachers Partylist, Gabriela Women’s Party, and Kabataan Partylist.
Since 1987, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas or PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas has been a militant organization challenging anti-fisherfolk and environmentally-destructive policies./PT
