Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Philippines)
Encyclopedia
The Philippines
' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Filipino: Kawanihan ng Pangisdaan at mga Yamang-tubig), abbreviated as BFAR, is an agency of the Philippine government
under the Department of Agriculture
responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the Philippines
' fisheries and aquatic resources.
Commission proposed the creation of an Office under the Department of Interior to take charge of the conservation, promotion and development of the country's fishery resources. This was not carried out, due to limited funds. The Secretary of the Interior continued to stir interest in the development of fisheries and, finally, in 1907, studies in fisheries began following the arrangement made by the Secretary of Interior for the services of the United States Fish Commission
fisheries research vessel USS Albatross
to work in Philippine waters for eighteen months and the employment of an American specialist in fisheries in the Bureau of Science
, formerly known as Bureau of Science to take charge of all work pertaining to fisheries. This Division remained under the Bureau of Science until the end of 1932.
On January 1, 1933, by virtue of General Memorandum Order No. 4 dated December 5, 1932 of the Secretary of Agriculture
and Commerce
, the Division of Fisheries and Division of Zoology
of the Bureau of Science
together with the Division of Forest Fauna
and Grazing of the Bureau of Forestry
were fused into one special division known as the Fish and Game Administration, which was placed under the direct administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Under this arrangement, the fish and Game Administration operated under the provisions of the Fisheries Act (Act No. 4003) and Act No. 2590, entitled "An Act for the Protection of Game and Fish." By subsequent reorganization effected on September 27, 1934, the Fish and Game Administration was returned to the Bureau of Science. The reason for its return was to strengthen the office through the use of equipment, personnel and appropriation of the Bureau.
On July 1, 1941, under the provisions of General Administrative Order No. 15, the Fish and Game Administration was reorganized as an independent unit under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and renamed Division of Fisheries. The functions pertaining to forest fauna and grazing was returned to the Bureau of Forestry and those of the Division of Zoology to the Bureau of Science.
The Divisions of Fisheries as a special division under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce functioned up to the outbreak of the war in 1941. During the early days of World War II
, the Division of Fisheries was fused with the Bureau of Forestry and then known as the Bureau of Forestry and Fishery. In the latter part of the enemy occupation, however, the Division of Fisheries was converted into an independent office known as the Bureau of Fisheries.
Taking cognizance of the increasing importance of effectively administering and conserving our fishery and other aquatic resources in our efforts to rehabilitate our prostrate economy, the Congress of the Philippines
enacted Republic Act
No. 177 creating the present Bureau of Fisheries which took effect on July 1, 1947. The Division of Fisheries and all sections, field districts, experimental stations and all activities and agencies of the National Government connected with fishery work have been incorporated in the Bureau of Fisheries.
As organized on July 1, 1947, the Bureau of Fisheries had seven functional divisions, namely, (1) Administrative Division, (2) Division of Fish Culture and Fisheries Biology,(3) Division of Commercial Fisheries, (4) Division of Fisheries Technology, (5) Division of Licenses and Regulations, (6) Division of Investigation and Inspection, and (7) Philippine Institute of Fisheries Technology offering a 2½ year course in fisheries on collegiate level. Subsequently, branches of this Institute offering a 4 years secondary course in fisheries were established in the following seven provinces
: Samar
, Cebu
, Albay
, Iloilo
, Zamboanga City
, Antique and Batangas
.
The entire Philippines
was divided into 10 fishery districts with a District Fishery Officer as head of each District. The headquarters of the fishery districts were located in strategic places in the different fishing regions as follows; Fishery District No. 1-Aparri, Cagayan
; 2-Dagupan City
, 3-Manila
; 4-Naga City; 5-Catbalogan City, Samar; 6-Iloilo City
; 7-Coron, Palawan
; 8-Cebu City
; 9-Davao City
and 10-Zamboanga City
.
Under the reorganization Plan No. 30-A reorganizing the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources as implemented by Executive Order No. 216, dated November 17, 1956, the Bureau of Fisheries has been reorganized again effective January 16, 1957 such that functional divisions of the Bureau had been reduced from seven to five, namely, (1) Licenses and Regulations Divisions; (2) Marine Fisheries Division; (3) Fisheries Research Division; (4) Inland Fisheries Division; and (5) Administrative Services Division.
The Philippine Institute of Fisheries Technology had been transferred to the University of the Philippines
. The seven secondary schools of fisheries in the provinces previously mentioned had been transferred to the Department of Education
under the administration of the Bureau of Public Schools. On March 20, 1963, R. A. 3512 reorganized it into the Philippine Fisheries Commission. On September 30, 1972, under the Integrated Reorganization Plan, the Philippine Fisheries Commission was reverted to the Bureau of Fisheries. By virtue of Presidential Decree No. 461 signed on May 17, 1974, which reorganized the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Natural Resources, the Philippine Fisheries Commission was renamed Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and placed under the Ministry of Natural Resources.
On June 30, 1984, BFAR was transferred from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, in compliance with Executive Order 967 mandating the conversion of BFAR as a staff Bureau and integrating its Regional Offices with the Regional Offices of the Department of Agriculture
. The staff functions of the Central Office and the integration of BFAR's Regional Offices into Regional Offices of the Department of Agriculture
was fully implemented with the issuance of Executive Order 116 signed by President
on January 30, 1987.
On February 25, 1998 President
Fidel V. Ramos
signed into law Republic Act
No. 8550, entitled, "An Act Providing For the Development, Management and Conservation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating all laws pertinent thereto and for other purposes", otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. This law took effect on March 23, 1998.
On January 5, 2008, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Philippines) (BFAR) announced that a fish kill
at Taal Lake
(January 2 to 4) caused the 50 metric tons or P 3.25-million ($ 1=41) loss of cultured tilapia
in the villages of Leviste and Balakilong in Laurel
and in Barangay Aya and Barangay Quiling in Tanduay
. 6,000 maliputo fishes (P 230,000) also died at Quiling. Toxic sulfur
and high level of hydrogen sulfide
in Ambulong while low dissolved oxygen
caused the deaths.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Filipino: Kawanihan ng Pangisdaan at mga Yamang-tubig), abbreviated as BFAR, is an agency of the Philippine government
Politics of the Philippines
The Politics of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system...
under the Department of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
' fisheries and aquatic resources.
History
When the Civil Government was established on July 4, 1901, the PhilippinePhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Commission proposed the creation of an Office under the Department of Interior to take charge of the conservation, promotion and development of the country's fishery resources. This was not carried out, due to limited funds. The Secretary of the Interior continued to stir interest in the development of fisheries and, finally, in 1907, studies in fisheries began following the arrangement made by the Secretary of Interior for the services of the United States Fish Commission
United States Fish Commission
The United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries was established on February 9, 1871 , as an independent commission with a mandate to investigate the causes for the decrease of commercial fish and aquatic animals in U.S...
fisheries research vessel USS Albatross
USS Albatross (1882)
The second USS Albatross, often seen as USFC Albatross in scientific literature citations, was an iron-hulled, twin-screw steamer in the United States Navy and reputedly the first vessel ever built especially for marine research....
to work in Philippine waters for eighteen months and the employment of an American specialist in fisheries in the Bureau of Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, formerly known as Bureau of Science to take charge of all work pertaining to fisheries. This Division remained under the Bureau of Science until the end of 1932.
On January 1, 1933, by virtue of General Memorandum Order No. 4 dated December 5, 1932 of the Secretary of Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and Commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, the Division of Fisheries and Division of Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
of the Bureau of Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
together with the Division of Forest Fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
and Grazing of the Bureau of Forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
were fused into one special division known as the Fish and Game Administration, which was placed under the direct administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Under this arrangement, the fish and Game Administration operated under the provisions of the Fisheries Act (Act No. 4003) and Act No. 2590, entitled "An Act for the Protection of Game and Fish." By subsequent reorganization effected on September 27, 1934, the Fish and Game Administration was returned to the Bureau of Science. The reason for its return was to strengthen the office through the use of equipment, personnel and appropriation of the Bureau.
On July 1, 1941, under the provisions of General Administrative Order No. 15, the Fish and Game Administration was reorganized as an independent unit under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and renamed Division of Fisheries. The functions pertaining to forest fauna and grazing was returned to the Bureau of Forestry and those of the Division of Zoology to the Bureau of Science.
The Divisions of Fisheries as a special division under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce functioned up to the outbreak of the war in 1941. During the early days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Division of Fisheries was fused with the Bureau of Forestry and then known as the Bureau of Forestry and Fishery. In the latter part of the enemy occupation, however, the Division of Fisheries was converted into an independent office known as the Bureau of Fisheries.
Taking cognizance of the increasing importance of effectively administering and conserving our fishery and other aquatic resources in our efforts to rehabilitate our prostrate economy, the Congress of the Philippines
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
enacted Republic Act
Republic Acts of the Philippines
This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Philippine laws have had various nomenclature designations at different periods in the history of the Philippines, as shown in the following table:...
No. 177 creating the present Bureau of Fisheries which took effect on July 1, 1947. The Division of Fisheries and all sections, field districts, experimental stations and all activities and agencies of the National Government connected with fishery work have been incorporated in the Bureau of Fisheries.
As organized on July 1, 1947, the Bureau of Fisheries had seven functional divisions, namely, (1) Administrative Division, (2) Division of Fish Culture and Fisheries Biology,(3) Division of Commercial Fisheries, (4) Division of Fisheries Technology, (5) Division of Licenses and Regulations, (6) Division of Investigation and Inspection, and (7) Philippine Institute of Fisheries Technology offering a 2½ year course in fisheries on collegiate level. Subsequently, branches of this Institute offering a 4 years secondary course in fisheries were established in the following seven provinces
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
: Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, Albay
Albay
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf....
, Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
, Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, Antique and Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
.
The entire Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was divided into 10 fishery districts with a District Fishery Officer as head of each District. The headquarters of the fishery districts were located in strategic places in the different fishing regions as follows; Fishery District No. 1-Aparri, Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
; 2-Dagupan City
Dagupan City
The City of Dagupan is a 1st class city in the Philippines. It is an independent component city of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, Dagupan City has a population of 149,554 people in 25,921 households. Located on Lingayen Gulf on the island of Luzon, Dagupan is the...
, 3-Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
; 4-Naga City; 5-Catbalogan City, Samar; 6-Iloilo City
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
; 7-Coron, Palawan
Coron, Palawan
Coron is a first class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it had a population of 32,243 people in 6,264 households....
; 8-Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
; 9-Davao City
Davao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
and 10-Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
.
Under the reorganization Plan No. 30-A reorganizing the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources as implemented by Executive Order No. 216, dated November 17, 1956, the Bureau of Fisheries has been reorganized again effective January 16, 1957 such that functional divisions of the Bureau had been reduced from seven to five, namely, (1) Licenses and Regulations Divisions; (2) Marine Fisheries Division; (3) Fisheries Research Division; (4) Inland Fisheries Division; and (5) Administrative Services Division.
The Philippine Institute of Fisheries Technology had been transferred to the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
. The seven secondary schools of fisheries in the provinces previously mentioned had been transferred to the Department of Education
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
under the administration of the Bureau of Public Schools. On March 20, 1963, R. A. 3512 reorganized it into the Philippine Fisheries Commission. On September 30, 1972, under the Integrated Reorganization Plan, the Philippine Fisheries Commission was reverted to the Bureau of Fisheries. By virtue of Presidential Decree No. 461 signed on May 17, 1974, which reorganized the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Natural Resources, the Philippine Fisheries Commission was renamed Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and placed under the Ministry of Natural Resources.
On June 30, 1984, BFAR was transferred from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, in compliance with Executive Order 967 mandating the conversion of BFAR as a staff Bureau and integrating its Regional Offices with the Regional Offices of the Department of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
. The staff functions of the Central Office and the integration of BFAR's Regional Offices into Regional Offices of the Department of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Agriculture , abbreviated as DA, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for boosting the income of farmers as well as reducing the incidence of poverty in the rural sector, as stipulated inthe Government's Medium Term Philippine...
was fully implemented with the issuance of Executive Order 116 signed by President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
on January 30, 1987.
On February 25, 1998 President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
signed into law Republic Act
Republic Acts of the Philippines
This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Philippine laws have had various nomenclature designations at different periods in the history of the Philippines, as shown in the following table:...
No. 8550, entitled, "An Act Providing For the Development, Management and Conservation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating all laws pertinent thereto and for other purposes", otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. This law took effect on March 23, 1998.
Current organization
After undergoing series of reorganizations, the BFAR today has nine (9) functional divisions: the Fisheries Policy Research and Economics Division, Fishery Resources Administration Division, Fisheries Development and Support Services Division, Aquaculture Division, Fisheries Resources Research Division, EEZ Fisheries and Allied Services Division, Fishing Technology Division, Fisheries Regulation and Quarantine Division, and Post Harvest Technology Division. It also has eight (8) fisheries technology center under its wing: The National Marine Fisheries Development Center, National Brackishwater Aquaculture Technology Research Center, National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Research Center, Tanay Freshwater Experimental Station, Fisheries Biological Station Complex, National Fisheries Research and Development Center, National Seaweeds Technology and Development Center and the Mindanao Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center.On January 5, 2008, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Philippines) (BFAR) announced that a fish kill
Fish kill
The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off and as fish mortality, is a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalised mortality of aquatic life...
at Taal Lake
Taal Lake
Taal Lake is a freshwater lake in the province of Batangas, on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The lake is situated within a caldera formed by very large eruptions between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago. It is the country's third largest lake...
(January 2 to 4) caused the 50 metric tons or P 3.25-million ($ 1=41) loss of cultured tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
in the villages of Leviste and Balakilong in Laurel
Laurel, Batangas
Laurel is a fourth class municipality in the Province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 34,953 people in 5,153 households...
and in Barangay Aya and Barangay Quiling in Tanduay
Tanduay
Tanduay Rhum is an alcohol beverage from the Philippines. It is produced by Tanduay Distillers Inc, and with origins dating from 1854, has over 155 years of history.-Tanduay Products:*Barcelona Brandy*Boracay Rhum*Cossack Blue*Cossack Vodka...
. 6,000 maliputo fishes (P 230,000) also died at Quiling. Toxic sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
and high level of hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
in Ambulong while low dissolved oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
caused the deaths.
External links
- BFAR Homepage
- BFAR Regional Office 1 Ilocos
- BFAR Regional Office 2 Cagayan Valley
- BFAR Regional Office 3 Central Luzon
- BFAR Regional Office 4A CALABARZON
- BFAR Regional Office 4B MIMAROPA
- BFAR Regional Office 5 Bicol
- BFAR Regional Office 6 Western Visayas
- BFAR Regional Office 7 Central Visayas
- BFAR Regional Office 8 Eastern Visayas
- BFAR Regional Office 9 Zamboanga Peninsula
- BFAR Regional Office 10 Northern Mindanao
- BFAR Regional Office 11 Davao
- BFAR Regional Office 12 SOCCSARGEN
- BFAR Regional Office 13 CARAGA
- BFAR Regional Office 14 ARMM