Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
REGULATING THE AQUARIUM AQUATIC LIFE TRADE AND INDUSTRY 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article II, Section 16 provides that “the State shall 
protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful 
ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.” 
The aquarium trade is one of the prevalent industries in the country 
that is often overlooked. The Philippines is one of the largest exporters of wild 
reef fish for aquarium trade. Thus, it provides livelihoods across the country. 
However there exists concerns of overharvesting, dangerous fishing 
techniques, and unregulated trading which put our marine life and 
biodiversity at risk.1 
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), fisherfolk have turned 
from supplying the fish-for-food trade to the fish-for-aquarium trade because 
it is lucrative. The marine aquarium trade has been reported to be worth 
about $200 million a year.2 However, there currently exists no regulations in 
the Philippines covering the collection of aquarium aquatic life and no 
restrictions on the number of collectors who can operate3. 
1 Turley, Rebecca. 2017. “Policy, Practice and Perceptions: Understanding governance of 
aquarium fishing in the Philippines”. Lancester University. 
https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/125069/2/2018_RebeccaTurley_MScbyresearchEnvi
ronmentalScience.pdf (Retrieved Online 25 September 2022) 
2 National Geographic. 2016. “The Horrific Way Fish are Caught for your Aquarium” 
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/160310-aquarium-saltwater-
tropical-fish-cyanide-coral-reefs (Retrieved Online 25 September 2022) 
3 Duco, Rico Jr.; Vallejo, Benjamin, Jr. n.d. “Improving the Current Policies of the Marine 
Aquarium Trade in the Philippines” http://copag.msu.ac.th/journal/filesjournal/3-
1/2010201642954no-3-1-7.pdf (Retrieved Online 25 September 2022) 
September 28, 2022
3:17 pm
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The aquarium aquatic life collecting industry must be regulated to 
ensure the health of the country’s coral reefs and marine biodiversity.  The 
industry of harvesting fish and other marine creatures for home, ornamental, 
and commercial aquariums remain largely unregulated, raising serious 
environmental concerns. 
 
 
This bill seeks to regulate the aquarium aquatic life collecting industry 
by implementing prohibitions and a system of fines for violators. It is the hope 
of this measure to protect and enrich the abundant marine biodiversity of the 
country in the long term while maintaining a sustainable harmony between 
economic livelihood and environmental protection. 
 
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought.  
 
 
 
 
REP. PM VARGAS   
 
Fifth District, Quezon City 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. PM VARGAS 
AN ACT 
REGULATING THE AQUARIUM AQUATIC LIFE TRADE AND INDUSTRY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines 
in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Aquarium Trade 
Regulation Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State to give the highest priority to the protection of the environment, 
particularly marine life.  Towards this end, this Act shall regulate the 
aquarium aquatic life collecting industry to ensure the health of the country’s 
coral reefs and aquatic life. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – In this Act, the term – 
a)
“Aquarium collecting gear” means any equipment used to collect
aquarium fish or animals including, but not limited to, hand nets,
fence or barrier nets, fiberglass or “tickle sticks”, catch buckets,
keeps, or baskets;
b)
“Aquarium purpose" means to hold saltwater fish, freshwater non-
game fish, or other aquatic life alive in a state of captivity as pets,
for scientific study, or for public exhibition or display, or for sale for
these purposes.  Saltwater fish, freshwater non-game fish, or other
aquatic life held alive in a state of captivity as food for human
consumption shall not be considered an aquarium purpose;
c)
“Collect” means to take, catch, harvest, or confine, or to attempt to
take, catch, harvest, or confine aquatic life.  The use of any
aquarium collecting gear to take, catch, capture, harvest, or confine,
or to attempt to take, catch, capture, harvest, or confine aquatic life
by any person who is on or about the shores of the Philippines or in
a vessel in Philippine waters shall be construed as collecting under
this section; and
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d) 
“Department” means the Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources. 
 
SECTION 4. Aquarium Aquatic Life Selling Permit. – No natural person, 
corporation, partnership, association, or any other entity shall sell, trade, or 
distribute aquarium aquatic life for aquarium purposes without a permit from 
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.    
 
SECTION 5.  Approved Aquarium Collecting List of Aquatic Species. – 
 
a) 
The Department shall develop and maintain an approved aquarium 
collecting list of aquatic species.  No aquatic species shall be 
collected or sold for aquarium purposes unless the species appears 
on the approved aquarium collecting list. 
b) 
The approved aquarium collecting list shall only include species that 
are shown by a Department or other government agency study to 
meet the following criteria: 
1) 
The species can survive capture, transport, and captivity for at 
least one hundred eighty (180) days; 
2) 
Based on historical evidence, the species is part of a stable or 
increasing population trend in the area where the species is 
being collected; 
3) 
The removal of the species does not negatively impact the reef 
ecosystem by contributing to algae overgrowth for herbivores, 
parasite overload on other reef fishes for cleaner wrasses and 
cleaner shrimps, or other harmful effects;  
4) 
The species is not endemic to the Philippines; 
5) 
The species is not endangered or vulnerable, as classified by 
the Department in accordance with laws, international 
conventions, or rules and regulations; and  
6) 
Such other criteria as may be prescribed by the Department.  
c) 
The Department may recognize indigenous Philippine traditional 
and customary rights with regard to marine resources for 
subsistence, cultural, or religious purposes. 
d) 
The Department shall inform all permit holders under section 4 of 
the species included in the aquarium collecting list and the 
penalties for failure to comply with the restrictions regarding the 
collection of aquatic life. 
 
SECTION 6. Penalties. – 
 
a) 
Any natural person, corporation, partnership, association, or any 
other entity that collects aquatic life not on the approved aquarium 
collecting list shall be fined not less than Five Thousand Pesos 
(P5,000.00) for each specimen collected.  If the specimen is an 
endangered or vulnerable species as classified by the Department, 
the fine shall not be less than Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) for 
each endangered species collected.  
 


b) 
Any natural person, corporation, partnership, association, or any 
other entity that sells aquatic life not on the approved aquarium 
collecting list shall be fined not less than Twenty Thousand Pesos 
(P20,000.00) for each specimen sold.  If the specimen is an 
endangered or vulnerable species as classified by the Department, 
the fine shall not be less than One Hundred Thousand Pesos 
(P100,000.00) for each endangered species sold. 
c) 
Any natural person, corporation, partnership, association, or any 
other entity that sells aquatic life without the permit referred in 
section 4 shall be fined Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) for each 
day of violation. 
d) 
The imposition of penalties under this Act shall not bar the 
prosecution of the offender under the Revised Penal Code or special 
laws. 
 
 
SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary of the 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources shall promulgate the 
necessary rules and regulations to implement this Act. 
 
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held 
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not 
otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting. 
 
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, 
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation 
contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, 
modified, or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 10. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved,