BACOLOD CITY - Negros Occidental second district Rep. Alfredo Marañon III said they will file an appeal before the Supreme Court over the decision allowing commercial fishing vessels within the 15-kilometer municipal waters.
MARAÑON
“That is a great disservice to the two million marginal fishermen,” Marañon said in a recent media interview.
Marañon said they have several people working with them in filing the motion.
The Supreme Court ruling issued on Dec. 19, 2024 lifted the 15-kilometer municipal water demarcation that prioritized municipal fisherfolk and regulated commercial fishing operations within these waters.
About 45,000 marginalized fishing communities in the province will be affected by the decision.
Last month, the City Council here passed a resolution strongly supporting legal efforts on the decision.
The resolution highlighted concerns that unregulated commercial fishing in these waters could lead to overfishing, habitat destruction, and a depletion of fish stocks, jeopardizing the livelihood of local fisherfolk and exacerbate poverty in coastal communities.
It also urged the Supreme Court to reverse its ruling and called for immediate action to protect the rights of municipal fisherfolk and preserve the city’s fisheries and marine resources.