Enforce existing fishing laws, no need for new ones, says BFAR official

1st Responsible Seafood Summit press briefing in Quezon City. -Photo from the Department of Trade and Industry Mimaropa’s Facebook page

MANILA  -There is no need to enact a law to promote responsible seafood sourcing (RSS) in the Philippines, with an official of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) saying instead that what is needed is better enforcement of present regulations.

What needs to be done is to increase the compliance of stakeholders with existing laws and policies governing the cultivation of fishery and aquatic resources, said BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera

“But if we’re going to analyze it, the concept of RSS is actually embedded in our existing law, the Fisheries Code,” Briguera said in a briefing during the 1st Responsible Seafood Summit hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Aside from that…I do agree that maybe someday we should come up with a more detailed or specific special law on RSS. But right now, there are existing mechanisms on the part of the government,” Briguera said.

These include the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Fisheries Compliance Audit which ensures all local government units play an active role in managing water resources within their respective jurisdictions and BFAR’s Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan which promotes fisheries protection and conservation.

“There can be no such thing as RSS if you have poor compliance with the fisheries laws. If you look at it, the foundation of RSS is really there,” he said.

Briguera recognized the need to provide more incentives to encourage industry players to follow suit in sourcing seafood responsibly.