A separate fisheries department will cost about P2 billion a year to run if the budgets of the agencies currently dealing with fisheries are combined, a former industry regulator said. In a virtual briefing Monday, Asis G. Perez, convenor of advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan, said a proposed Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will also ensure centralize the management of fisheries, benefiting coastal communities that depend on it for livelihood. “The idea to combine all agencies under one roof is to integrate their functions and for better management,” Mr. Perez, a former Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) national director, said.

Ochave, R. M. D. (2020, December 8). Proposed fisheries dep't budget estimated at P2B. BusinessWorld, p. S1/2.