Amended Fisheries Code now ready for implementation

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the amended Philippine Fisheries Code.

The 89-page IRR is the result of the 20-day drafting process, which was participated in by commercial fishing companies, civil society organizations, the government sector, academe, non-government organizations (NGOs) and fisherfolk representatives.

“We thank all the members of the sector who actively participated in promulgating the IRR of the amended Fisheries Code. We continue to encourage everyone to support the law that aims to safeguard our seas in order to achieve sustainable fisheries, for the benefit of the whole fishery sector,” Alcala said.

The IRR cover specific procedures on the imposition of penalties to fishers who commit illegal, unreported and, unregulated fishing activities. The rules also cover the guidelines on the enforcement of various fisheries conservation measures.

Among the salient provisions of the amended Code is the implementation of vessel monitoring measures on Philippine-flagged commercial fishing vessels operating outside the country’s waters and commercial fishing vessels with a weight of 30 gross tons and above operating in the Philippine waters.

The IRR also include a provision allowing the use of active fishing gear such as purse seine and ring net by small-scale and medium-scale commercial fishing vessels within 10.1 to 15 kilometers off the shoreline subject to conditions under the law.

The rules will take effect 15 days after publication in newspapers of general circulation.

BFAR will conduct a two-month extensive information and education campaign to ensure that fishery stakeholders and the general public are aware of the law.

The amendments to the Fisheries Code were initially met with opposition from the local fishing industry.

 A compromise, however, has been reached between the government and the industry leading to the completion of the IRR.

The adoption of an amended Fisheries Code resulted to the revocation in April of the yellow card warning issued by the European Union (EU) to the Philippines for deficiencies in controlling illegal fishing and improving traceability and certification of catch.

As the world’s largest fish importer, the group of European states only allows the entry of fishery products that have been certified as legal by the respective exporting countries.

The Philippines is a major exporter of fisheries products to the EU and is seen to greatly benefit from trade with the European bloc with its inclusion to the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) as of December 2014.

The GSP+ scheme allows beneficiary countries to export 6,274 products to any of the 28 members of the EU bloc at zero tariff for a period of 10 years.

Products granted duty free access to the EU market include marine products, coconut products, processed fruit, prepared food, animal and vegetable fats and oils, textiles, garments, headwear, footwear, furniture, umbrellas, and chemicals.