Tuna industry leaders in the South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos City (Socsksargen) region have urged the current 15th Congress to craft a law elevating to department status the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which is now under the Department of Agriculture. In this way, they expect fishery issues to promptly get the attention of the national leadership, since the new department will be directly under the Office of the President. " While the fisheries sector of other countries are of the department of ministry level, the Philippine fisheries [agency] remains at bureau level," the Socsksargen of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII) noted in its resolution.

Sarmiento, R. S. (2010, September 30). Fisheries department pushed. BusinessWorld, p. S1/6.