BFAR appeals SC ruling on delimitation of municipal waters

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse its decision allowing commercial fishing within the country's 15-kilometer municipal waters reserved for small-scale fishers.

- BELLA CARIASO and JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

"This decisive action underscores the agency's unwavering commitment to utilizing all available legal remedies to secure a fair and just resolution of the case," BFAR said in a statement, explaining its move to file a motion for reconsideration of the SC’s ruling.

“This move reflects the agency’s proactive stance in ensuring that the implications of the court’s decision are thoroughly reviewed, particularly given the potential impact on national policies, environmental conservation and the livelihoods of those in the fisheries sector,” BFAR added.

Former Agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor has accused BFAR and the Department of Agriculture (DA) of “sleeping on the job and failing to appeal the Court’s decision within the required period.”

Last Dec. 19, the High Tribunal nullified provisions of the Fisheries Code restricting commercial fishing within municipal waters.