Press Release
December 1, 2014

Senate ratifies amendments to the Fisheries Code

The Senate, voting unanimously, today ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the reconciled version of the amendments to the Fisheries Code.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, presented during the plenary session today the reconciled version of Senate Bill 2414 and House Bill 4536 or the measure that amends the Philippine Fisheries Code.

"We are very pleased the Body recognized the urgency of this bill that addresses the yellow tag being imposed by the European Union on our fish and marine exports and worked with us in ratifying this version," Villar said.

She also noted how the Senate and the House of Representatives were able to resolve without too much debate the differences in the provisions on increased penalties on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF).

The Nacionalista Party senator also expressed optimism President Aquino will sign the bill into law before year-end.

Villar said a highlight of the bill is the creation of the Fisheries Management Fund, which will be sourced from the collection of fines and penalties under the law. The fund will provide for livelihood and scholarship programs, among others, for fisher folks and their family.

"By increasing the penalty against illegal fishing activities, we are not only discouraging people to commit these acts, we are also putting up a fund that will help the fishery sector," Villar said.

The new version, Villar stressed, was improved to allay the fears of domestic fishing operators that the bill, once enacted into law, will be detrimental to their operations. She cited the features of the bill that provided for greater protection of local fishermen. Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 was amended to put in place a measure that will conserve, protect and enable sustained management of the country's fishery and aquatic resources.

Villar said "the bill aims to level the fishing legislation at par with other countries, especially with regard to conservation measures regarding threatened aquatic species, straddling and highly migratory species, and other marine resources."

The amendments also seek to alleviate poverty and to provide supplementary livelihood among municipal fisherfolks; improve productivity of aquaculture within ecological limits; promote optional use of offshore and deep-sea resources; and upgrade the post-harvest technology.

Villar said there is an urgent need to maintain a good balance between the requirements for increased production against the need to conserve and protect our resources for long-term sustainability.

"We need a strong fisheries law, including a comprehensive national plan of action to, among others, manage fishing capacity as well as the implementation of international code of conduct for responsible fisheries," she said.

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