A fishermen’s group blamed the dwindling catch in municipal waters to the provisions of the amended Fisheries Code under the Republic Act 10654, including the registration and licensing schemes. The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) cited the recent report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), during the third quarter of 2017, that total volume of production for fisheries was estimated at 971,000 metric tons, 3.89 percent less than 2016 numbers. According to the statistics, municipal fisheries production went down by 0.68 during the quarter alone. For its part, the fishermen’s group said strict fishing restrictions, such as the registration and licensing schemes that “curtail” the fishing activities of small fisherfolk affect fish production.

De Vera-Ruiz, E. (2018, January 8). Fishermen's group to gov't: Reform fishing laws, address registration woes. Manila Bulletin, p. 4.