Official says BFAR needs new boats, proposes re-fleeting program

Logo of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) are already old and unfit for sea, its chief said Tuesday as he proposed a re-fleeting program to boost the agency’s capabilities.

BFAR Director Demosthenes Escoto told the Senate subcommittee on finance that most of their boats are more than 15 years old and urgently need replacements.

Escoto said BFAR currently has two multi-mission vessels, one research vessel, 12 marine vessels, 12 monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) vessels, and several small boats stationed in different parts of the country and maintained by different offices.

“We have submitted a proposal for the re-fleeting of these vessels, considering that these are already old. In fact, [these] were procured more than 15 years ago, so while we have these number of vessels, all at the same time, they are not ready for sea. Some are actually being repaired and some are not ready for sea,” he said during the panel hearing on the 2024 budget of BFAR.

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According to Escoto, a 50-meter MCS vessel costs about P150 million to P200 million. He said BFAR is eyeing to acquire three new vessels every two years.

“So that in around 10 years, we will be able to complete a new set [of vessels],” he pointed out.

Senator JV Ejercito said he favors the proposed re-fleeting of BFAR’s vessels, especially in light of China’s continued incursion in the West Philippine Sea.

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“Kaya siguro talagang may interes ang Tsina dyan [sa West Philippine Sea] due to the abundance of marine resources dyan sa area na ‘yan,” Ejercito said during the hearing.

(So maybe China has an interest there [in the West Philippine Sea] due to the abundance of marine resources there.)

Ejercito later stressed that Filipino fishermen should be the ones taking advantage of the West Philippine Sea, including the vast resources in the territory.

BFAR’s proposed budget for next year amounts to P7.871 billion, which is relatively higher than its P6.956 billion budget under the 2023 General Appropriations Act.

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