A total of 662 boats and 24 fishing gears in Western Visayas has already been registered under the National Program for Municipal Fishing Vessels and Gears Registration, known as BoatR, of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as of July 14. Aldrin Madalag, a system administrator of the Regional Fisheries and Information Management System of BFAR 6 said BoatR was implemented starting January this year and it is ongoing in 84 coastal municipalities of the region. BoatR is a year-long program of BFAR designed to expedite and complete the registration of fishing vessels with the capacity of three gross tons and below and fishing gears in the country in accordance to the Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and Executive Order No. 305 series of 2004.

BoatR registration of fishing boats, gears ongoing. (2015, July 17). Panay News, p. 21.