Amended Fisheries Code ready for implementation

The country’s amended Fisheries Code will be ready for implementation soon since the Department of Agriculture (DA) is scheduled to sign the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for this legislation this week.

The DA said the implementing rules and regulations for the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 as amended by Republic Act (RA) 10654 will be ready for signing any time before September 24 almost half a year since the drafting of the IRR.

September 24 is the last day of the six-month period which the law set for the promulgation of the IRR.

In a meeting held last week, the drafting committee for the code finalized the provisions included in the IRR that formally capped the 20-day drafting process.

“After thorough discussions and sharing of opinions, we have come to this day. The IRR has been formulated through multi-sectoral participation and consensus-building approach,” DA Undersecretary for Fisheries and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) national director Asis Perez said.

To fully implement the Amended Fisheries Code, the IRR lays down the guidelines on the enforcement of various fisheries conservation measures. It covers the specific procedures on how to impose the penalties to fishers who committed illegal, unreported and, unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.

Meanwhile, members of the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council (NFARMC), the highest recommendatory body on fisheries policy, convened on the last four days of the deliberation until they reached the common decision to adopt the finalized version.

Perez said the NFARMC was regularly provided with copy of the draft during the entire course of the consultation to keep track of its development.

“Once the IRR takes effect, the hard work starts. We have always believed in the success of collaborative works. We count on our partners—the private sector, the academe, government agencies, the fisheries sector and the general public—to continuously exert efforts to protect and safeguard our marine and aquatic resources,” he said.

Representatives of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have expressed appreciation of the participative process in the crafting of the IRR.