The fight for 15 kilometers: Whose waters are they? | UP for Discussion

Who gets to fish in municipal waters—and who gets left behind?

This Philippine Environment Month, we spotlight the growing backlash to a recent Supreme Court ruling that opens municipal waters—the first 15 kilometers from shore, long reserved for small-scale fishers—to large commercial operations. Advocates warn the decision threatens marine ecosystems, undermines local governance, and puts coastal livelihoods at risk.

Featuring insights from Prof. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, Executive Director of the National Consortium for Small-Scale Fisheries Research and Development; fisheries student Lyny Giovy Cainglet; and aquaculture graduate student Ande Bryle Genciana, each speaking from their work and research at UP Visayas. Together, they argue for the urgent restoration of protections to the 15-kilometer zone.
With food security and coastal survival on the line, can this grassroots campaign turn the tide?

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:25 The 15km Issue
02:21 Who are Small-scale Fishers?
04:16 Women and the Fishing Crisis
05:14 Risks to Marine Life
06:23 Economic Consequences
07:29 UP’s Role in the Debate
10:22 How to Take Action

Produced by Gilliano Salvador and Karl Castro, UP Media and Public Relations Office (MPRO)

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Read the statement of the UP Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences:
https://www.upv.edu.ph/index.php/anno...

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Editor's note: An infographic in a previous version of this video displayed inaccurate tonnage classifications for medium- and large-scale commercial fishing. The video has been updated with the correct figures. We apologize for the error.