GROUP FEARS ‘PRICE SHOCK’ IF FISHING VESSELS MONITORING ORDER IMPLEMENTED

A fishing industry group on Thursday said the retail prices of fish in the market could skyrocket if the order requiring fishing operators to install monitoring systems on commercial fishing vessels will be implemented.

In a statement, Inter-Island and Deep Sea Fishing Association (IDSFA) director Roderic Santos said the Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 266 issued in 2020 by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) would bring the cost of fish to “astronomical” levels.

The FAO No. 266 required commercial fishers to report their catch through Vessel Monitoring Measures (VMM) and an Electronic Reporting System (ERS).

The order, however, was suspended by Malacañang through a memorandum dated March 13, 2023 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

The memorandum directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the BFAR to “hold in abeyance the implementation of FAO No. 266 nationwide, pending the final resolution over its constitutionality by the Supreme Court."

The same order was also issued a permanent injunction in June 2021 by the Malabon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 170, "declaring it as null and void for being unconstitutional."

The matter has since been pending before the Supreme Court.

Santos said should the FAO 266 be enforced it would have “dire consequences,” especially on government efforts to achieve food security in the country and could expose consumers to “price shock.”

“Relatively, the entire local fishing industry is against FAO 266. No commercial fishing vessel will continue to operate if this unconstitutional regulatory measure is enforced,” he said.

“It will see many, if not all, commercial fishers not going to the sea and this will mean a shortage of fish,” Santos said, adding that “a shortage of fish will, of course, cause an increase in prices.”

GMA News Online has reached out to the BFAR for comment, but no response yet has been received as of posting time. 

The Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations Inc. (APFFI), the umbrella organization of various commercial fishing associations nationwide, likewise, said that the implementation of FAO 266 could “wipe out the commercial fishing industry affecting food security as well as employment.”

“The country's fish requirements will eventually join the basket of controversial basic products, e.g. rice, onions, garlic, sugar, beef, pork, chicken, among others,” the APFFI said.

Meanwhile, in issuing the suspension memorandum against FAO 266, Bersamin cited “supervening events," which compelled the exercise of an abundance of caution on the part of implementing agencies of the said order and the principle of “inter-branch” courtesy among the three branches of government. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

This article Group fears ‘price shock’ if fishing vessels monitoring order implemented was originally published in GMA News Online.

2023-06-08T09:10:54Z dg43tfdfdgfd