According to Director Asis Perez, it was a decade ago yet when experts warned that the country's seas were suffering from overfishing. The amended Republic Act 10654 (Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) exacts heavy fines on violators of the country's fishery laws. "Stiffer penalties can discourage violations," said Perez who was here over the weekend for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's High-level Police Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy and Related Meetings.

Sologastoa, G. (2016, October 6). 'Higher fines to save marine resources'. Panay News, pp. 2, 15.