Fisherfolk want moratorium on boat, fish registration

The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas on Monday called for a temporary suspension of some of the provisions on the amended Fisheries Code of 1998 or Republic Act 10654, particularly the Boat Registration (BoatR) and Fisherfolk Registration (FishR), one of the new highlights in the amended Fisheries Code. Pamalakaya said this was another burden for the small fisherfolk who barely earn enough to sustain their families’ daily expenses. The BoatR, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, is designed to fast-track and complete the nationwide fishing vessels registration with capacity of three gross tons and below while the FishR aims to register fisherfolk in the country to come up with a national database system.