On September 22, 2015, the Agriculture Secretary signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the amended Philippine Fisheries Code. (The Official Gazette)
The 89-page document setting the rules and regulations of for Republic Act (RA) 10654, or the act that amended RA 8550, otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, is the result of a 20-day drafting process involving commercial fishing companies, government, civil society organizations, the academe, non-government organization (NGOs), and fisherfolk representatives.
[Related: Pahayag ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ukol sa pagpapatupad ng Batas Republika 10654.]
The IRR covers specific procedures on how to impose the penalties to fishers who committed illegal, unreported and, unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. It also lays down the guidelines on the enforcement of various fisheries conservation measures.
One of the IRR’s salient features is the application of vessel monitoring measures (VMM) which only applies to Philippine-flagged commercial fishing vessels operating outside the country’s waters and commercial fishing vessels of 30 gross tons (GT) and above which are operating in the Philippine waters. The implementation schedule of the VMM application is specified in the IRR.
The IRR of the Amended Fisheries Code also includes a provision on the use of fishing gear, such as the purse seine, locally known as “pangulong,” and the ring net or “taksay,” by small-scale and medium-scale commercial fishing vessels who may be allowed to operate in 10.1 to 15 kilometers off the shoreline subject to certain conditions prescribed by the law.
The IRR will take effect 15 days after its publication in newspapers of general circulation. BFAR will conduct a two-month extensive information and education campaign (IEC) to ensure that fishery stakeholders and the general public are aware of the law.
– From the Department of Agriculture
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