Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has renewed his push for the creation of a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) through Senate Bill No. 417, citing persistent challenges faced by Filipino fisherfolk.
Cayetano issued the call following a February 18 hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform that discussed bureaucratic red tape, declining fish catch, and weak law enforcement, as well as concerns over a Supreme Court ruling allowing commercial vessels inside the 15-kilometer municipal waters.
He said a dedicated department would treat fisheries as a national priority and provide focused support to one of the country’s poorest sectors despite its vital role in food security.
The proposed DFAR would separate fisheries governance from the Department of Agriculture and serve as the main policy-making and regulatory body, prioritizing small-scale fisherfolk, strengthening anti-illegal fishing efforts, and promoting science-based management. It would also streamline functions now handled by BFAR, PFDA and marine programs under the DENR.
Senator Francis Pangilinan expressed support for the proposal during the hearing.
Cayetano, who has filed similar measures in previous Congresses, proposed an initial P5-billion budget for the new department, saying it would improve enforcement, protect municipal waters, reduce post-harvest losses, and raise fisherfolk incomes.