No commercial fishing near the Filipino shores!

The commercialization of nearshore fishing in the Phillipines

In August 2024, the Filipino supreme court ruled in favor of the Mercidar Fishing Corporation (MFC), owned by an elite bureaucrat family with political ties, in its civil court case against the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) – a governmental agency under the Filipino Department of Agriculture. Where the BFAR could formerly restrict commercial fishing operations within the first fifteen kilometers off the Filipino coasts in areas up to seven fathoms deep, the landmark ruling opened the door for further exploitative fishing and corporate environmental plunder in nearshore waters. With the additional access to municipal territories, commercial fishing companies may operate in 98% of viable fishing territories amidst already increasing cases of illegal and unregulated fishing.

This ruling is problematic for several reasons. First, commercial operators are equipped with types of devices, baits and gear which allow for a much more aggressive mode of capture; commercial vessels may catch in a day what municipal fisherfolk harvest in months or even years. These vessels fish with much higher fuel intensity, destroy vital coral reefs and altogether threaten local ecosystems that are already severely overfished. Moreover, the increased market dominance of export-oriented companies like MFC exacerbates a shortage crisis in fish provision for consumption by the Filipino masses.

On top of that, the extension of nearshore fishing rights happens at the expense of local fisherfolk, for whom fishing represents not only a way of life but also a source of identity-construction. The economic well-being of Filipino fisherfolk lags significantly behind the national average with a poverty incidence of 39.2% compared to the 25.2% nationally) and this gap is bound to be extended by increasing commercial competition. Without social justice the local fisherfolk will have no choice but to resort to more polluting and destructive practices, as lacking economic stability means subsistence will outweigh sustainability. 

A march against hunger and capitalist encroachment

To protest the supreme court’s ruling, PAMALKAYA-Philipinas helped draft and file the “Atin ang Kinse Bill” (15km is Ours Bill) before the House of Representatives on October 20th 2025, to mandate the exclusive right of subsistence fisherfolk over the 15-kilometer municipal waters. With the support of Het Actiefonds, national fisherfolk representatives gathered and staged a protest on the same day, in which they emphasized the link between hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and the extension of commercial authority over nearshore waters. By including various local leaders, the protestors ensured that the intersectional perspectives of grassroots communities from across the Philippines were included in the national campaign for fisheries justice and urged Congress to consider the cross-generational implications of current inaction against overfishing.

Since filing the bill, PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas has continued campaigning for protections of local fisherfolk through lobbying efforts and is currently planning an even larger summit in May to maintain pressure on policymakers and ensure the bill is passed swiftly. Het Actiefonds is proud to have supported this action and stands in solidarity with local fisherfolk in the Philippines as they continue to face economic hardship, community loss and environmental degradation.