Fishers, youth press Marcos to defend municipal waters

MANILA, Philippines — Fishers and youth groups gathered at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Sunday, June 7, to press President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to protect the country’s 15-kilometer municipal waters, saying stricter enforcement of fisheries laws is needed to safeguard livelihoods, food security and marine ecosystems.

Around 300 fishers and youth advocates converged at the UP Diliman Sunken Garden, where about 150 participants formed a human banner of the number “15” to symbolize the municipal waters reserved under Philippine law for municipal and artisanal fisherfolk.

Fisherfolk and youth advocates form a human “15” at UP Diliman on June 7, 2026, calling for the protection of the country’s 15-kilometer municipal waters. (Photo courtesy of Oceana Philippines)

Fisherfolk and youth advocates form a human “15” at UP Diliman on June 7, 2026, calling for the protection of the country’s 15-kilometer municipal waters. (Photo courtesy of Oceana Philippines)

Municipal waters refer to the marine area extending 15 kilometers from the shoreline and are reserved under the Fisheries Code for the preferential use of municipal and subsistence fisherfolk. These nearshore waters serve as breeding and nursery grounds for fish and contain critical habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds.

The Philippines has about 308,612 square kilometers of municipal waters spanning more than 36,000 kilometers of coastline. About 930 coastal local government units are responsible for managing nearshore fisheries.

Organizers said the human banner symbolized a growing campaign to defend the 15-kilometer municipal waters from commercial fishing encroachment and destructive activities that fisherfolk groups say are contributing to declining fish catch and worsening poverty in coastal communities.

Youth advocates and fisherfolk exchange greetings at the Sunken Garden in UP Diliman during a World Oceans Day mobilization highlighting the importance of municipal waters to coastal communities. (Photo courtesy of Oceana Philippines)

Youth advocates and fisherfolk exchange greetings at the Sunken Garden in UP Diliman during a World Oceans Day mobilization highlighting the importance of municipal waters to coastal communities. (Photo courtesy of Oceana Philippines)

International marine conservation group Oceana partnered with the fisherfolk federation PANGISDA Pilipinas, youth organizations and university students for the activity ahead of World Oceans Day on June 8.

Participants also signed a petition addressed to Marcos urging the government to uphold and enforce protections for municipal waters.

‘The law says 15 km belongs to artisanal fishers’

The petition called on the President to direct the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to strictly enforce the exclusive use of municipal waters by municipal fisherfolk under Republic Act No. 10654, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police Maritime Group and local government units.

“The law says 15 km belongs to artisanal fishers. Today, we draw the line by calling on President Bongbong Marcos and Congress to protect and uphold the rights of small Filipino fishermen to these municipal waters,” Oceana Vice President Von Hernandez said in a statement issued for World Oceans Day.

“The future of our oceans and fisheries is anchored on the uncompromising defense of municipal waters against commercial and destructive fishing,” he added.

READ: BFAR faces scrutiny amid record fishing intrusions

Fishers march from Vinzons Hall to the Sunken Garden at UP Diliman, carrying banners and wearing fish-shaped headpieces as part of a campaign to protect the country’s 15-kilometer municipal waters. (Photo courtesy of Oceana Philippines)

Hernandez said commercial fishing incursions into municipal waters continue to threaten both livelihoods and the country’s food supply.

“When commercial boats cross the 15-kilometer line, they don’t just steal catch. They are stealing from the poor, they are destroying the livelihoods and dignity of small fishermen — and they are putting the nation’s food security at risk,” he said.

“We cannot celebrate the ocean while ignoring this injustice happening on our shores. We demand enforcement of the 15-kilometer limit, and an end to commercial theft from the poorest sectors and the communities that depend on these waters the most.”

Youth advocates listen as fisherfolk share stories from the coast during a gathering at UP Diliman ahead of World Oceans Day. (Photo courtesy of Oceana Philippines)

The petition signed during the gathering echoed the same call.

“We appeal to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to uphold the law’s promise to our municipal fisherfolk. For generations, they have carried this nation on their backs — keeping our ocean alive and our people fed. From their small boats to our dining tables, they form the living link that connects our nation to the sea,” the petition stated.

“Through responsible fishing and the protection of coral reefs, they have sustained the very ecosystems that nourish us today. Because of them, we are still able to eat fish. Now, it is time for the law and the State to deliver the protection they have long deserved,” it added.

RELATED STORY: Fishers push passage of ‘Atin ang Kinse Kilometro’ bill

Production continues to fall

The World Oceans Day call comes as the country’s fisheries sector continues to face declining production.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed total fisheries production fell to 3.96 million metric tons in 2025, down 2.5% from 4.06 million metric tons in 2024 and 4.7% from 4.26 million metric tons in 2023.

Graphics by Ed Lustan/Inquirer.net

Municipal fisheries — the sector most closely tied to small-scale fishing communities — also posted another decline. Production fell to 928,342.70 metric tons in 2025, down 4.2% from 969,030.31 metric tons in 2024. Municipal fisheries accounted for 23.5% of total fisheries production during the year.

Marine municipal fisheries, which cover catches from coastal waters used by municipal fishers, recorded a steeper decline. Output dropped to 749,366.40 metric tons, a 6.7% decrease from 802,860.03 metric tons in 2024.

PSA data also showed lower production for several commonly consumed fish species. Output of galunggong fell by 11.6% in 2025, while tamban declined by 12.1%.

READ: Philippine fish production falls anew in 2025

Graphics by Ed Lustan/Inquirer.net

The figures add to concerns raised by marine scientists and conservation groups about the long-term state of Philippine fisheries.

According to Oceana’s fisheries assessment, capture fisheries production fell from 2.6 million metric tons in 2010 to about 1.9 million metric tons in 2023.

The group estimates the Philippines has been losing an average of about 45 million kilograms of fish annually since 2010 due to overfishing and governance failures.

It also found that about 88% of assessed fish stocks nationwide are overfished or harvested beyond sustainable levels.

READ: Why Philippine fisheries keep losing 45 million kilos of fish a year

Poverty and shrinking catch

For many fishers, the decline reflected in national statistics is already being felt in their daily lives.

Data cited in previous fisheries assessments showed 353,190 fisherfolk families were living below the poverty line in 2023, while 93,030 fisherfolk families were classified as food-poor. Poverty incidence among fisherfolk reached 27.4%, significantly higher than the national average of 15.5%.

“We are also starving the very hands that feed us. The 2.5 million Filipino fisherfolk who put food on our tables are now living in dire straits,” Hernandez said in a previous statement.

READ: Governance gaps deepen decline of Philippine fisheries

Graphics by Ed Lustan/Inquirer.net

Pablo Rosales, chairperson of PANGISDA Pilipinas, said the decline in fish stocks has become increasingly visible in coastal communities.

“Ang 15KM para sa tao, hindi sa negosyo. Kapag nasira ang ating karagatan, kasiraan din yan ng ating kinabukasan.”

(The 15-kilometer zone is for people, not for business. If our seas are destroyed, our future will be destroyed as well.)

Rosales has previously said municipal fishers who once caught between 10 and 20 kilograms of fish a day now average only about 2.5 kilograms daily, translating to roughly P250 in income.

“Ngayon, kaunti na ang nahuhuli mo, malaki pa ang gastos dahil lumalayo ka na. Yung 100 [peso] mo, dalawang kilong bigas lang ‘yun,” Rosales earlier told INQUIRER.

(Now, you catch very little, and your expenses are even higher because you have to travel farther. Your 100 pesos only buys two kilos of rice.)

Edward Diaz, a fisher from Quezon, said rising fuel prices have compounded the difficulties faced by small-scale fishers.

“Napakalaking sugal ang pagpaloot dahil napakamahal na, halos hindi namin mabuhay ang sarili naming pamilya,” he said.

(Fishing has become a huge gamble because it has become so expensive that we can hardly provide for our own families.)

Bataan fisherfolk leader Edlyn Rosales (left), Oceana Vice President Von Hernandez, and PANGISDA Pilipinas chairperson Pablo Rosales lead fishers and advocates in a march highlighting the importance of coastal waters to marine life and small-scale fishing communities. (Photo courtesy of Chari Villegas)

In an earlier interview, Diaz described how increasing operating costs have pushed many fishers to stop going to sea.

“Ang pinagtatrabaho na lang namin ay ang mga may-ari ng gasolinahan. Dahil halos doble ang itinaas ng gasolina. Kaya ang nahuhuli namin, pambili lang ng gasolina,” he said.

(It feels like we’re working only for gasoline station owners now because fuel prices have nearly doubled. Whatever we catch just goes to paying for gasoline.)

“Malimit ay walang huli kaya pinipili na magtrabaho sa construction. Kaya kalimitan po ngayon ay nakabara na ang mga bangka namin. Yung ibang nakababa, pili lang ang araw ng paglaot namin kasi nabibitin sa budget sa pagbili ng gasolina,” he added.

(Often, there is no catch, so many choose to work in construction instead. That is why many of our boats are now left docked. Those who still go out only choose certain days to sail because the budget for gasoline falls short.)

READ: Rising fuel prices push fishers, farmers deeper into debt

Edlyn Rosales, also a fisher, emphasized the importance of involving families and young people in efforts to protect the country’s marine resources.

“Napakahalaga ng #KwentongDagat, napakagaling ng mga nanay na pumunta ngayon dahil alam nila na para ito sa kinabukasan ng kanilang mga anak,” she said.

(#KwentongDagat is very important. It’s inspiring to see the mothers who came today because they understand that this is about their children’s future.)

Commercial fishing pressure

The gathering took place amid continuing concerns over commercial fishing activity inside municipal waters.

Oceana said the food and livelihood of artisanal fisherfolk are increasingly threatened when commercial fishing vessels enter municipal waters and when destructive activities such as reclamation and seabed quarrying are allowed in nearshore areas.

“The source of food and livelihood of poor artisanal fisherfolk is highly compromised when commercial fishing encroaches and since destructive projects like reclamation and seabed quarrying were allowed inside this near-shore water,” the group said in a statement.

“This omission of the government and the impunity of commercial fishing interests has already resulted in the massive decline in fish catch and the poverty of coastal communities.”

The group has repeatedly raised concerns over continued commercial fishing incursions into municipal waters.

Graphics by Ed Lustan/Inquirer.net

Data from Oceana’s Karagatan Patrol platform showed 3,853 apparent commercial fishing detections inside municipal waters in March 2026 alone — the highest monthly figure recorded from 2022 to 2026. Through March this year, the platform had already recorded 7,560 detections.

Monitoring data also showed commercial fishing intrusions into municipal waters averaged about 80 incidents per day from 2023 to 2025.

READ: Commercial fishing intrusions in municipal waters hit 5-year high

The issue has gained national attention following the legal battle involving Mercidar Fishing Corp., which challenged provisions of the Fisheries Code governing municipal waters.

In 2023, a Malabon court declared unconstitutional several provisions involving the legal definition of municipal waters, local government jurisdiction and the preferential rights of municipal fisherfolk. The Supreme Court later dismissed the government’s appeal on procedural grounds, effectively allowing the ruling to stand.

The case has alarmed fisherfolk groups and environmental advocates who warn that weakening protections for the 15-kilometer zone could further undermine efforts to rebuild fish stocks and protect coastal livelihoods.

READ: Explainer: How a quiet court case threatens small-scale fishers

For Hernandez, protecting municipal waters is inseparable from protecting food security and the future of coastal communities.

“The future of our oceans and fisheries is anchored on the uncompromising defense of municipal waters against commercial and destructive fishing,” he said. /dm