Published April 24, 2021, 6:00 AM
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) was urged to recall its recent order that sets the guidelines for the establishment of the management board and subsidiary bodies for Fisheries Management Areas (FMA).
In a statement, international non-government organization Oceana said BFAR’s Fisheries Office Order (FOO) No. 10, series of 2021 will limit the participation of local government units (LGU), fisherfolks, and key stakeholders in the 12 FMAs in the country.
The order, according to the group, paves the way for the rotation of the Chair of the Management Body of FMA among the covered BFAR Regional Offices and exclusion of the Co-Chairperson as representative from LGUs.