More than 30 mayors in seaside towns around the country have opposed a proposal from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to use the coast of the mainland as a reference point in the delineation of municipal waters, saying this would limit the fishing ground devoted to small fishermen. While this may speed up the country’s economic recovery through a considerable increase in fisheries production when commercial vessels are given a larger area, local governments and industry groups are worried that this will rob small-scale fishers of their livelihood, and may also lead to the destruction of several marine resources, including corals and mangroves. This is especially alarming for coastal communities that have offshore islands. For instance, the municipality of Cuyo in Palawan province stands to lose about 85 percent of its municipal waters once the BFAR guideline is passed.

Ocampo, K. R. (2020, October 16). Mayors to BFAR: Protect our fishing grounds: Local officials in 32 towns, cities across the country block proposal revising guideline setting boundary of municipal waters. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.