Group worries proposed protected areas in WPS will only affect small fishers
MANILA, Philippines — Proposed legislation to designate marine protected areas in the West Philippine Sea could restrict small-scale fishers from traditional fishing grounds, fisherfolk group PAMALAKAYA said Monday, adding it might not stop Chinese vessels from exploiting those waters.
Rep. Edward Hagedorn (Palawan) has filed House Bill 6373, which seeks to declare all areas within three nautical miles of the baselines surrounding the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal as MPAs to protect them from "destructive human exploitation."
The bill, if passed into law, will prohibit the use of destructive fishing gear and practice, dumping of poisonous substance or untreated sewage, undertaking mineral exploration or extraction, and constructing any kind of structure in the proposed MPAs.
"While we acknowledge the objective of the bill to protect the major features in the West Philippine Sea against destructive fishing practices, we fear that this might sweepingly cover small fishers, as the proposed marine protected areas will be within the municipal waters," said Fernando Hicap, national chairperson of PAMALAKAYA.
The group said the three-nautical mile protected area would cover nearly six of the fifteen kilometers from shore that fall under municipal fishing grounds.
"We will be vigilant of this bill that could restrict Filipino fishers from their traditional fishing grounds while actually failing to prevent China and other foreign fleets from conducting large-scale fishing, among other destructive activities beyond the municipal waters," Hicap said.
PAMALAKAYA stressed that local conservation measures would be "unnecessary" if the Marcos administration is able to effectively uphold the 2016 landmark ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping nine-dash line claims over a large part of the South China Sea.
Beijing does not recognize the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the national security adviser during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, said in 2019 that the government was "looking into the possibility" of declaring Pag-asa Island and Eastern Kalayaan as MPAs.
The declaration never happened during the term of Duterte, who was criticized for his China-friendly stance.
Hundreds of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels roam the disputed waters, destroying fish breeding grounds, harassing fishing and other boats, and building artificial islands.
Filipino fishermen say their catches have dwindled due to China's aggressive actions.
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