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MANILA, Philippines — Ocean conservation group Oceana has warned that the Supreme Court’s decision striking down the government’s monitoring requirement for commercial fishing vessels weakens efforts to combat illegal fishing by removing what the group considers a key enforcement tool for protecting municipal waters and small-scale fishers.
The group urged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to seek reconsideration of the decision, saying the government should act quickly to preserve a monitoring system it described as vital to fisheries law enforcement.
The statement came after the Supreme Court affirmed a 2021 ruling by the Malabon City Regional Trial Court declaring Fisheries Administrative Order No. 266 unconstitutional.
READ: Explainer: How a quiet court case threatens small-scale fishers
