Fisheries Administrative Order No. 250-2, s. 2018 amending FAO No. 250, s. 2014 on Regulations on the Collection, Harvesting, Gathering, Selling and Exporting of Sargassum spp.

This Administrative Order amends the prohibition of Collection, Harvesting, Gathering, Selling, and/or Exporting of Brown Algae (Sargassum spp.), and Seagrass. Amendments regulate the collection of Sargassum from the wild as follows: a) Collection of naturally growing Sargassum as well as those still floating/drifting is not allowed; b) Collection of washed ashore Sargassum is allowed, provided that the LGU in the Auxilliary Invoice shall indicate and certify that the collected Sargassum is indeed washed ashore as required under Section 15 of the Amended Fisheries Code. Until such time that the culture technology for Sargassum has been developed, the LGU will adopt this provision for implementation; c) Fisherfolk registered under the Municipal Fisheries Registration System (Fish-R) may be given a licence or permit by the Local Government Unit (LGU) to gather/collect washed ashore Sargassum. In the grant of license or permit, preference shall be given to bonafide resident fisherfolk of the municipality. In addition, it establishes Registration requirements for: Sargassum consolidators, gatherers, buyers, traders, exporters and processors, as well as for the sale, transport and export of washed ashore Sargassum: