The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Monday clarified that the installation of vessel monitoring system (VMS) and electronic reporting system (ERS) for commercial fishing vessels is mandatory and not merely voluntary, contrary to reports published recently. BFAR, an attached bureau of the Department of Agriculture (DA), pointed out that Section 119 of Republic Act (RA) 8550 or the Fisheries Code is clear that the installation of VMS and ERS is mandatory for all commercial Philippine-flagged fishing vessels.

Arcalas, J. E. Y. (2022, January 25). BFAR clarifies VMS and ERS apparatus onboard PHL fishing vessels not optional but 'mandatory'. Business Mirror, p. A5.