Preamble
WHEREAS, fish is one of the major and cheapest sources of protein in the diet of the Filipino people; WHEREAS, 2.2 million Filipinos depend directly on the fishery industry for their livelihood; WHEREAS, the Philippines continues to import fish and fishery products in substantial quantities because of the insufficiency of domestic production; WHEREAS, there is a compelling need to increase the production of fish to bring down its price to a level which will be within the reach of our people, and at the same time insure the continuity of our fishery resources in productive condition through wise utilization and proper conservation; WHEREAS, the vast fishery resources of the Philippines have remained largely untapped due to unnecessary constraints brought by existing laws and regulations and by the failure to provide an integrated development program for the industry; and WHEREAS, there is an urgent" need to revise and consolidate all laws and decrees affecting fishing and fisheries to make them even more responsive to the needs of the fishery industry. NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree as part of the law of the land the following: DECLARATION OF POLICY DEFINITION OF TERMS THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES THE FISHERY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL UTILIZATION AND EXPLOITATION OF FISHERY/AQUATIC RESOURCES RESERVE FISHERIES AND FISH SANCTUARIES PROHIBITION AND PENALTIES