Progressive fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday, Feb. 6, warned that the country’s declining municipal fisheries production could further worsen following a court ruling that permits commercial fishing vessels to operate within the 15-kilometer municipal waters.

The group made the statement as it affirmed the findings of international conservation group Oceana, which reported that capture fisheries production has been steadily declining since 2010, averaging annual losses of 45,472 metric tons.

“The consistent decline in the municipal fisheries production reflects the sheer neglect of the government to the welfare of the fisherfolk,” Pamalakaya Chairperson Fernando Hicap said in a statement.

The fisherfolk group attributed the sustained drop in municipal capture fisheries output to what it described as the government’s “insufficient” response to devastating calamities, the continuation of profit-driven projects that damage marine and fishery resources, and the intrusion of commercial fishing operations into municipal waters.

Pamalakaya cautioned that the recent court ruling allowing commercial fishing within municipal waters could further undermine the already declining fish catch of small-scale fishers.

“Ang lumabas na pag-aaral kaugnay sa bumabagsak na produksyon ng isda ay hindi simpleng datos; manipestasyon ito ng dumadausdos na kalagayan ng maliliit na mangingisda bunga ng kapabayaan ng pamahalaan (The findings of the study on the declining fish production are not mere data; they are a manifestation of the worsening condition of small fisherfolk due to government neglect),” said Hicap.

“Nararapat lamang igiit ang mga makabuluhang suporta at proteksyon sa kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda (It is only right to demand meaningful support and protection for the livelihood of fisherfolk),” he added.