It questions why, given the country’s vast marine resources, commercial fishing companies—with their most advanced equipment and vessels that can operate well beyond the 15-kilometer municipal waters—insist on encroaching on the traditional fishing grounds of the marginalized fisherfolk. I believe that municipal waters are still relatively abundant in fish despite widespread overfishing. Hence, commercial fishing persists and can still generate significant profit for operators, especially since the government provides credit assistance programs. Another reason is that commercial fishing operators, as well as the judge and justices who sided with a fishing company, do not fully understand the negative impact of overfishing.

Overfished coastal waters: Small fisherfolk's fight for justice. (2025, November 13). Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A9.