KEY officials of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) met Monday with Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan to discuss possible bills that would ensure that the welfare of small fisherfolk is protected.
Yamsuan called for the meeting as the chairman of the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources, after fishers’ groups, local government units (LGUs), and civil society groups asked the Supreme Court to reconsider a ruling which, according to a statement from his office, “could clear the way for commercial fishing companies to have unobstructed access to municipal waters.”
The Fisheries Code imposes a 15-kilometer municipal water zone for the use of small fishers.
“Our primary concerns here are the livelihood and welfare of our 2.5 million small-scale fisherfolk, and our food security. We need to make sure that the impact of every decision made would not imperil efforts to boost our food security and endanger the sustainability of our marine resources,” Yamsuan said.
BFAR officials led by OIC-Director Isidro Velayo Jr. told Yamsuan the Supreme Court decision was not yet final, and that they have been coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to seek its reversal.
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