MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is supporting the proposed amendments to the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, saying these would ensure strict compliance with the law, an official said yesterday.
“This is part of the responsibility of those who want to use marine resources. This is meant especially to control the proliferation of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” BFAR director Asis Perez said.
“We need to make the penalties proportional to the benefits they gain from the sea. The imposition of higher penalties would ensure that no one would violate the law,” he added.
Perez said BFAR would begin consultations with stakeholders tomorrow.
Member companies of the Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations are opposing the bill, saying it imposes “oppressive” and “confiscatory” regulations that threaten to drive them out of business.
They said the requirement for fishing vessels to be equipped with Vessel Monitoring System devices that would entail over P240,000 per vessel and monthly maintenance fee of over P20,000 would raise operation costs and fish prices.
Negros Oriental Rep. Henry Pryde Teves and Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap assured operators of fishing vessels that the bicameral conference committee for the bill addressed some of their concerns.
Teves said the proposed penalties had been reduced from P5 million to P1 million for large-scale fishing operators and from P250,000 to P100,000 for small fishing vessels.
Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said they also removed a provision on the confiscation of fishing vessels, except those poaching in international waters.
“We have updated the law to make the country an active player in conservation and sustainable development of the world’s fisheries and aquatic resources and at the same time take care of our fisherfolk,” Villar said. – With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez