The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has reiterated its objection to the Department of Agriculture Rationalization Plan, calling it a “chopsuey” model that is too dangerous and costly experiment.

Negros Oriental fishery officer Leonardo Aro said that some people say the DA-RAT plan is also tantamount to economic sabotage. He was quoting former director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. of the BFAR, in his privilege speech before the DA-Department of Budget and Management consultation conference.

Aro said that, since the passage of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act in 1997, the pledge of P120 million in funding has not been realized.

He also said he believes some provisions of RA 8435 run in conflict with a more recent law, the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 under RA 8550. Aro said the management structure for crops and livestock definitely will not work in the fishing industry but rather, would have a destabilizing effect.

He said the general feeling is that DA is creating the fishery sector as a guinea pig in a senseless experiment like what happened from 1985 to 1998, when BFAR operations were put under the supervision of DA regional directors.

He said that, during those years, a very low national fisheries production output was noted, prompting the fishing industry to fight very hard for its reconstitution as a line bureau of the DA.

Integrating the fishery sector with the department of agriculture is downgrading the very institution that has propelled fisheries to unprecedented heights in the past seven years, Aro said, adding that banner commodities of BFAR include tilapia, milk fish and seaweeds.

Members of the congressional committee on fisheries are coming to the province to hold a consultation of the DA-RAT plan.

Aro said that during the consultation, provincial as well as regional officers of the BFAR  will echo the statement of Sarmiento that “the fisheries sector does not fit in any of the boxes that the management structure under the DA-RAT plan prescribes.*JG

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