Manila, April 30 -- Senator Loren Legarda on Wednesday called for the protection of artisanal fishers amid renewed concerns that a recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling could open municipal waters to commercial fishing, threaten the livelihood of some of the country's poorest communities and weaken marine conservation efforts.

Legarda's appeal comes in response to the Supreme Court First Division's ruling on Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vs. Mercidar Fishing Corporation (G.R. No. 270929), which ignited debate over the legality of allowing commercial fishing operations within the 15-kilometer zones traditionally reserved for small-scale fishers.

The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), thr...