Balance on fisherfolk livelihood, food security sought in 'Atin ang Kinse Kilometro' bill

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Philstar.com

December 10, 2025 | 8:31pm

MANILA, Philippines — Proposals to bar commercial fishing vessels from operating within the 15-kilometer municipal waters should promote a balance between the livelihood of small-scale fisherfolk and the food security needs of more than 100 million Filipinos.

This is according to Rep. Tsuyoshi Horibata (1st District, Camarines Sur)—chairman of the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries—who raised the point during the committee’s regular meeting recently. The hearing gathered agencies and industry groups to discuss House Bill 5606, or the proposed Atin ang Kinse Kilometro Act.

During the hearing, officials from the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) disputed the claim by Ronnel Arambulo, vice chair of the fishers' group PAMALAKAYA, that allowing commercial vessels in municipal waters would automatically lead to overfishing.

They said the allegation lacked evidence and unfairly portrayed commercial fishing workers—who are also Filipino fishermen—as indifferent to protecting marine resources or supplying affordable fish to low-income consumers.

BFAR Director Elizer Salilig cited viral videos of fish washing ashore as evidence of underfishing, not overfishing. 

He said the fish that died and drifted ashore “could have fed and benefited many Filipino families.”

Salilig added that restricting commercial vessels from areas small-scale fishers cannot exploit forces consumers to rely on overpriced imported frozen fish during closed seasons. 

BFAR said that while closures help stocks recover, many municipal fishers lack the gear to catch certain species once fishing resumes. These fish then migrate to neighboring countries, are harvested there, and return to the Philippines as imported frozen products.

Jaydrick Yap, vice president of the SOPHIL Fishing Association, said commercial operators already follow sustainability measures and work with government researchers to ensure they do not deplete stocks. 

Yap stressed that commercial fishermen “care for the marine ecosystem just like small-scale fisherfolk.”

Ferddie Lim of the Inter-Island Deep Sea Fishing Association said commercial operators mainly target sardines and galunggong—species abundant within the 15-km zone but in areas not fished by small-scale operators. 

He added that fishing exclusively outside the zone is “not realistic,” noting that catches drop sharply in deeper waters and would limit the country’s supply of affordable sardines and galunggong.

Meanwhile, Rep. Nathaniel “Atty. Nat” Oducado (1Tahanan Party-list) manifested that there must be a balance between conservation and livelihood, and develop a fair use arrangement that protect both the seas and the people. 

Oducado, author of HB 6556 amending the Fisheries Code, proposed allowing only municipal fishing from the coastline up to 10 km and permitting commercial fishing in the 10.1-15 km zone only if the water depth is at least 20 fathoms—conditions meant to ensure small-scale fishers are not displaced.

For the purpose of ensuring food security, HB 6556 puts to task the national government to “identify, through the grant of specific licenses to commercial fishing vessels to operate within municipal waters.”

At the close of the hearing, Horibata said any policy shift must be “evidence-based rather than assumption-based.” 

He said the committee will form a technical working group to consolidate scientific data, assess socioeconomic impacts, and craft a calibrated policy that protects marine resources while meeting the needs of millions of Filipino consumers.

Also on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. urged consumers to consider more affordable fish options amid a tight global supply of galunggong, which has pushed retail prices higher.

He said the rising prices signal the industry’s continuing struggle to meet domestic demand.