Republic Act No. 10654 amending Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.

This Republic Act amends the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8550) and aims to deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Amendments deal with several aspects of the above mentioned Code, specyfing new management and conservation measures to conserve and manage living marine resources, fisheries and aquaculture in the Philippines and the reconstitution or establishment of fisheries institutions both at the national and local level.
The text consists of 142 sections which are divided into 10 Chapters and amended as follows: Access to Fishery Resources. The Fisheries Department shall issue such number of licenses and permits for the conduct of fishery activities subject to harvest control rules and reference points as determined by scientific studies or best available evidence. A monitoring, control and surveillance system shall be established by the Department in coordination with LGUs, FARMCs, the private sector and other agencies concerned to ensure that the fisheries and aquatic resources in Philippine waters are judiciously and wisely utilized and managed on a sustainable basis and conserved for the benefit and enjoyment exclusively of Filipino citizens. The MCS system shall encompass all Philippine flagged fishing vessels regardless of fishing area and final destination of catch (sections 7-14).
Section 42 establishes that the Department is authorized to adopt port state measures that must be complied with by foreign fishing vessels. These measures shall include: prior notification of port entry; use of designated ports; restrictions on port entry and landing or transhipment of fish; restrictions on supplies and services; catch and other documentation requirements; port inspections; and other related measures. Transhipment by Philippine Flagged Fishing Vessels shall be regulated by the Department in a manner consistent with the Philippines’ commitment to conventions and international agreements.
Section 65 establishes competences and duties of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources. Section 102 specifies measures for Fishing or Taking of Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species, as follows: a) It shall be unlawful to fish or take, catch, gather, sell, purchase, possess, transport, export, forward or ship out aquatic species listed in Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), or those categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as threatened and determined by the Department as such.
Chapters VI specifies Prohibitions and penalties. Section 142 establishes a Fisheries Management Fund to enhance the budget for: the conservation, preservation, protection, management, development and regulation of the fishery and aquatic resources; research and development and capability building of the various stakeholders including provision for scholarships; supplementary livelihood for poverty alleviation; and improvement of productivity and processes of the various stakeholders. It shall be administered by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as a special account in any government financial institution.