Republic Act No. 3512

REPUBLIC ACT No. 3512

AN ACT CREATING A FISHERIES COMMISSION DEFINING ITS POWERS, DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.

Section 1. It is hereby declared a national policy to encourage, promote and conserve our fishing resources in order to insure a steady and sufficient supply of fish, and other fishery products for our increasing population, and to reduce to a minimum level possible the importation of such produce so as to help stabilize the national economy by enlarging the office charged with the development, improvement, management and conservation of our fishery resources.

Section 2. Creation. In pursuance of said policy, there is hereby created an office to be known as the Philippine Fisheries Commission under the direct control and supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Section 3. Composition and Organization. The Philippine Fisheries Commission shall have a chief to be known as Commissioner and two assistants to be known as Deputy Commissioners who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointment. The Commissioner shall receive a salary range of 68, the Deputy Commissioners a salary range of 62 in accordance with the salary pattern of the Wage and Position Classification Office (WAPCO).

The Commissioner shall, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, organize the commission into such divisions, sections, and other units as he deems proper to insure the maximum efficiency of its operation; establish and maintain field offices and stations at suitable and appropriate places in the Philippines as may be needed to carry out the purposes of this Act; and create an advisory committee on fishery and allied matters to be composed of the Commissioner as chairman, with the two Deputy Commissioners and four from the private sector engaged in deep-sea fishing, fish culture, fish processing and allied industries, as members. Each member from the private sector shall receive a per diem not exceeding twenty pesos for each meeting actually attended which meetings shall be held not more than twice each month.

Section 4. Powers, duties and functions. The Commissioner shall have the following powers, duties and functions:

Section 5. Power over fishing vessels and fishery matters. All powers, functions and duties heretofore exercised by the Bureau of Customs, Philippine Navy and Philippine Constabulary over fishing vessels and fishery matters are hereby transferred to and vested in the Philippine Fisheries Commission and all the corresponding records and documents kept in the custody of the Commission. The Commissioner or his authorized representatives shall collect all the fees and charges on fishing vessels which are now collected by the Bureau of Customs.

Section 6. Penalty. Any person, partnership or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Act or of the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder shall be punished by an administrative fine of not more than one thousand pesos or cancellation of permit or license at the discretion of the Commissioner.

All decisions rendered by the Commissioner are appealable to the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources whose decision shall be final.

Any person who fails or refuses to comply with the legal summons of the Commission or who refuses to be sworn to in his testimony or gives or furnishes false or misleading information or causes to mislead in an investigation made pursuant to subsection (k) of Section four of this Act, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred pesos, or imprisonment of not exceeding six months or both, in the discretion of the court. If the false information or misleading data have been given under oath, the penalties prescribed by law for perjury shall be imposed.

Section 7. The Bureau of Fisheries is hereby abolished. All the personnel, records, appropriations, property, and equipments (found in its divisions, sections or services actually identified with the carrying out of the fisheries work) of the Bureau are hereby transferred to the Philippine Fisheries Commission: Provided, however, That no official or employee of the Bureau of Fisheries shall be laid off in the implementation of this section.

Section 8. Repeal. Republic Act Numbered One hundred seventy-seven, and all other acts, orders, and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with any provision of this Act, are hereby repealed.

Section 9. Funds. In addition to the funds set aside for the Bureau of Fisheries in the General Appropriation Act, there is hereby appropriated the amount of ten million pesos out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out the purposes of this Act during the fiscal year ending June, nineteen hundred sixty-four. Thereafter the necessary amount for the same purpose, shall be included in the annual General Appropriation Act.

Section 10. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: March 20, 1963