Prohibition Against Commercial Operation of Fishing Gear in Restricted Marine Water Areas

November 16, 1976

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 480

WHEREAS, to improve the standard of living in the rural fishing communities of the country; to conserve municipal fishery resources against the heavy exploitation of fish and aquatic resources in the entire marine water areas of the provinces of Northern Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, and Sorsogon; to provide municipal and small-scale fishermen a wider area within which to operate fishing boats of three (3) gross tons or less and to increase their catch per unit effort, I caused the promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 1015 amending the first paragraph of Section 17 and Section 35 of Presidential Decree No. 704;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines do hereby order the following:

1. That commercial operation of fishing gear such as trawl and purse seine is hereby prohibited in the marine water areas within a distance of seven (7) kilometers from the shorelines of the provinces of Northern Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, and Sorsogon.

2. To achieve effective prohibition of trawl and purse seine operations in the restricted water area of the aforestated provinces, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Local Government and Community Development, the Department of National Defense, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are hereby ordered to strictly implement the above order.

3. All the municipal mayors and barangay captains of all the municipalities and barangays of the provinces of Northern Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, and Sorsogon shall, upon the recommendation of the Department of Local Government and Community Development, subject to the guidelines to be promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, be made deputies of the Secretary of Natural Resources in the enforcement of these instructions, and all other existing and related fishery laws, decrees, rules and regulations.

4. The municipal mayors and barangay captains so deputized shall submit monthly reports of accomplishment to the respective Provincial Philippine Constabulary Commands, copy furnished the respective Provincial Fishery Program Officers and the Secretary of the Department of Local Government and Community Development.

This Letter of Instructions shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Six. acd