Patricia Majluf
Vice President, Peru
May, 2015
Amended Fisheries Code Becomes Law in the Philippines
Republic Act 10654, which amends the Philippine Fisheries Code, became law in February 2015 after Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III allowed amendments to the 1998 Philippine Fisheries Code to lapse into law — a deliberate inaction in the Philippines that allows items to become law. Under RA 10654, which cracks down on illegal fishing and helps rebuild fisheries, sanctions have been raised to as high as $45 million (PHP) for commercial fishing violators and $2.4 million (PHP) for poachers. Additionally, the amendments call for the installation of a Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) system on all flagged Philippine fishing vessels that help identify commercial vessels operating illegally in Philippine waters, and call for it to be unlawful to intentionally tamper with, switch off or disable the vessel monitoring system.. By passing these amendments, the Philippines avoided penalties by the European Union for failing to meet its standards on sustainable fishing practices.
Joshua Laughren
Executive Director, Oceana Canada
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Amended Fisheries Code Sets Higher Penalties, Tightens Rules on Commercial Fishing
Republic Act 10654, which amends the Philippine Fisheries Code, lapsed into law on February 27, 2015. It seeks to “prevent, deter and...
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling on Unconstitutionality of Petroleum Deal in Tanon Strait
Oceana Philippines hailed the high court’s decision as a landmark ruling. The court said the Philippine government violated the...
