Rappler
‘Atin ang kinse’: Makabayan wants exclusive rights for small fishers over municipal waters
PAMALAKAYA and members of the Makabayan bloc have filed House Bill No. 5606, the "Atin ang Kinse Kilometro Bill," to restore exclusive fishing rights for small-scale fishers within municipal waters.
This legislation is a direct response to a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated these preferential rights and allowed commercial fishing vessels into the 15-kilometer coastal zone.
The proposed bill also seeks to prohibit destructive fishing gears and practices associated with large-scale operations, such as purse seine, ring net, trawl fishing, muro ami, and modified Danish seine.
Municipal local government units will retain jurisdiction over these waters, and violators will face penalties including imprisonment of up to six months and revocation of fishing licenses.
The Supreme Court's First Division affirmed a 2023 ruling allowing Mercidar Fishing Corporation to fish within municipal waters, underscoring the urgency of this bill.
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