Solons, fishermen support creation of fisheries department

CEBU, Philippines  - Cebuano lawmakers and fishery stakeholders in the Visayas have unanimously supported the proposed amendments of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and the creation of Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR).

The House Committee on Fisheries and Aquatic Resources chaired by Cebu Fourth District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon conducted the first round of public hearings for the Visayas yesterday, attended by more than 300 fishery stakeholders, mostly commercial fishers, at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall.

Present at the public hearing were Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia (Cebu, 2nd District); Representatives Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City South District); Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st District); Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd District); Gabriel Luis Quisumbing (Cebu, 6th District) and Pastor Alcover, Jr. (Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy Partylist).

Also present were Rep. Irvin Alcala of Quezon Province who principally authored the House Bill 3374 and Agham Partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones who heads the Technical Working Group which consolidated the six proposed measures into the substitute bill.

Gullas offered to co-author the bill and he was followed by Pablo, Pablo John, Alcover and Quisumbing to also co-author which Palmones accepted.

Pablo pointed out some conflicting provisions under the Fishery Code such the definition of municipal waters and commercial fishermen which have to be ironed out.

He said the creation of DFAR is long overdue after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was put in limbo when it was first attached with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and subsequently with Department of Agriculture.

Salimbangon, on the other hand, said the fishery industry now is contributing at least P200 billion to the government in terms of income per year.

DA also reported that the shell craft industry is contributing P780 million per year and is involving 1.5 million people.

Lawmakers are pushing for the approval of a substitute bill reating the department which shall focus on the conservation, development and utilization of the country’s marine resources.

The substitute bill, which consolidated House Bills 065, 824, 3322, 2764, 1541 and 4085, abolishes the BFAR that was reconstituted by Republic Act 8550.

The bill shall authorize the department to supervise and regulate the production and capture of fish and fisheries products as well as the processing and marketing of all aquaculture, fisheries and other aquatic products in the country.

To accomplish the proposed agency’s mandate, the Act includes the creation of six bureaus - Bureau of Fishery Economics and Statistics (BFES), Bureau of Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries (BAIF), Bureau of Fishing Technology and Capture Fisheries (BFTCF), Bureau of Fisheries Extension, Training, and Support Services, Marine Resources Conservation, Management & Enforcement, and Bureau of Postharvest and Fisheries Product Standards (BPFPS).

To reach out the remotest farmers and fishermen, the measure shall create 16 regional field offices and six National Technology Centers that among others, will provide technical support and services to the regional fisheries offices, will serve as conduit/network to bridge the technology gap among the research institutions, the academe, and the fisheries industry and verify, package economically-viable and socially acceptable technologies for technology transfer.

Under the substitute bill, P10 billion shall be appropriated from the National Treasury, the current budgetary appropriations of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, including its regional offices, the appropriations of the Philippine Fishing Development Authority, and the budgetary provision of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research Development. (FREEMAN)