Tacloban City (CNN Philippines) — A total of 20 fishermen from the coastal village of Tinambacan in Calbayog City received motorized bancas from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under the Boat Registration (BoatR) program.
The program assists the local government in the fast-tracking, enhancing, and in completing the registration of fishing vessels, that are three gross tons and below, and fishing gears as required under Executive Order No. 305 s. 2004 and Sec. 19 of the Fisheries Code of 1998.
Technical support is now also provided to facilitate the registration process that includes trainings for ad measurements, technical documentation of fishing gears, and the provision of local government unit-customized forms, among others.
The registration information provided by the city government will be utilized by the BFAR as basis for providing technical, livelihood, and other assistance programs to fisherfolk communities, and in implementing ecosystems-based approach to fisheries management.
BoatR is in accordance with Section 19 of the Fisheries Code of the Philippines (RA 8550). It states that the local government shall maintain a registry of fishermen and their fishing vessels by type of gear and other boat particulars with the assistance of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils.
