SENATOR Imee Marcos sought an explanation from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on the continued smuggling of fish that have found their way into various public markets in the country, especially in Metro Manila.

During Wednesday’s hybrid hearing on October 19, 2022, on the proposed 2023 budget of BFAR, Marcos expressed alarm after receiving reports that varieties of smuggled fish are made available in the market, but the agency has been “inept” in stopping the illegal activities.

“What are the actions taken by BFAR against [the] smuggling of fish and fishery products? What are the updates on the last fish importation? What is the projected shortage? Is there an intended importation?” Marcos asked BFAR officials, stressing that “we should not have [a] shortage of fish because we are an archipelagic country.”

Regional Director Sammy Malvas, the BFAR representative, vowed to submit their report and other documents asked by the committee as soon as possible.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, who presided over the meeting of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its attached agencies in tackling the P6.2B proposed budget of BFAR, asked officials to address the backlog and fully implement the laws establishing fish hatcheries in different parts of the country to help increase fish production.

Villar added that since 2016, Congress had passed 57 laws creating marine hatcheries, and so far, only 19 have been completed.

Malvas informed the committee that the agency has a P256 million allocation for constructing 14 legislated hatcheries next year.

Villar suggested to the agency to heighten the implementation of the Republic Act (RA) No. 10654 or the law preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and channel their collection of fines and penalties to the construction of more legislated hatcheries.

The panel also tackled the proposed 2023 budgets of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito asked BFAR about its effort to propagate rare fish species in the country.

Ejercito also inquired if there are studies or research that will not only save but increase the population of fish like “Maliputo” (Giant Trevally) and “Ludong”.

National Fisheries and Research and Development Institute Exec. Director Lilian Garcia informed the committee that they had already managed to have maliputo spawn in captivity, while the profiling process is currently being conducted on ludong to study the fish thoroughly.

Sen. Robin Padilla, during the hearing, asked for an update on the program of BFAR to deploy fishermen in the islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), saying this would be a “clear sign” to neighbors such as China that the area belongs to the Philippines.

Malvas said the agency distributed big fishing boats to fishermen and deployed monitoring, control, and surveillance teams to secure them in the WPS.