• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Negros Occidental provincial government is pushing for a strengthened ordinance that would prohibit all commercial fishing activities within the province’s municipal waters as local officials seek to protect the livelihood of small-scale fisherfolk, following a controversial Supreme Court ruling allowing commercial fishing within the 15-kilometer municipal waters zone.
The proposed measure, which was reviewed by the Provincial Legal Office, aims to conserve marine ecosystems, protect fishery resources, strengthen fisheries governance, and promote the sustainable use of coastal resources across the province.
It also provides enforcement mechanisms, administrative penalties for violations, and recognizes the constitutional rights of subsistence fishermen.
Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said the proposed ordinance is consistent with the powers granted to local government units under the Local Government Code of 1991 and is aligned with the Philippine Fisheries Code, as amended.
He said the measure reinforces national policies that prioritize municipal fisherfolk and protect them from the adverse effects of commercial fishing within waters reserved for their livelihood.
Nellas added that the ordinance promotes environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, food security, and the protection of coastal communities, noting that his office found no legal infirmity in the proposed measure and recommended its approval and implementation.
A public hearing on the proposed ordinance was held Tuesday, July 7 following Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson’s endorsement of the measure for consideration by the Provincial Board.
Third District Board Member Andrew Montelibano, chair of the committee on agriculture, said the proposed ordinance seeks to strengthen existing regulations that prohibit large commercial fishing vessels from operating within the 15-kilometer municipal waters surrounding Negros and Guimaras islands.
“There is already an ordinance, but we want to strengthen it,” Montelibano said, noting that commercial fishing activities continue to affect the livelihood of small fishermen.
He emphasized that the provincial government wants the ordinance to reflect the needs of coastal communities, with over 45,000 municipal fisherfolk across the province’s 25 coastal cities and municipalities expected to benefit from the measure.
“We requested the presence of the fisherfolk because I believe the ordinance should come from them,” Montelibano said. “We already drafted an ordinance, but we are giving them 10 to 15 days to submit their recommendations on what they want to incorporate or revise so we can study their proposals”.
Montelibano said local government units and fisherfolk organizations have also been invited to submit their recommendations, stressing that the province is committed to incorporating legal and practical provisions that will strengthen the ordinance.
“We are not only protecting our fishing grounds but also our fishermen,” he said. “As long as their proposals are legal, we will consider them.” | GPB
