NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC )
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
fejl Senate
of tIjL'
23 JAN 25 All .*05
SENATE
RECEIVED IT':
Introduced by; Senator Raffy T. Tulfo
AN ACT DEFINING AND PROVIDING FOR MORE SEVERE PENALTIES FOR 
LARGE SCALE EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF CORALS AND CORAL 
REEFS, TAKING ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ACTS OF 
DESTRUCTION OF MARINE RESOURCES, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THIS
PURPOSE CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8550, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998, AS 
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10654
Explanatory Note
Coral Reefs are one of the most valuable ecosystems in the world. The 
Philippines is home to incredible marine life, with a wide range of corals, reef fishes, 
seagrasses, and mangroves. Many Filipinos depend on this incredible ecosystem as a 
source of food and income; this includes small-scale and commercial fishermen and 
as well as the booming tourism industry in the country. With that being said, the 
exploitation and devastation of the coral reefs and destructive fishing practices have 
led to the massive decimation of the country's marine biodiversity.
The coral reef is an essential structure that not only provides shelter for about 
25% of the ocean's fishes, but also buffer shorelines against storms, waves, and 
floods. The continued damage to the coral reefs through global warming and 
irresponsible fishing practices will destroy not only the beautiful Philippine waters, but 
compromises the food security and socioeconomic stability of millions of people in the 
country.
In this regard, there is a need to amend certain provisions stipulated in Republic 
Act No. 10654, an Act that modified "The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998" or RA No.


8550, which penalizes coral exploitation and exportation, and fishing or taking of rare 
and endangered species. There is a need however to create much more severe 
penalties to deter future violations and protect the country's natural resources. As 
such, this bill seeks to strengthen the enforcement of fishery laws and propose to have 
a reward system placed directed to law enforcement officers or other persons who are 
able to report violators of this proposed Act.
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passing of this billiS'-earhestlylOught.
T. Till
Senator


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC )
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
of f(jc g-rc rfarn
23 JAN 25 A11B5
SENATE
Introduced by: Senator Raffy T. Tulfo
AN ACT DEFINING AND PROVIDING FOR MORE SEVERE PENALTIES FOR 
LARGE SCALE EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF CORALS AND CORAL 
REEFS, TAKING ENDANGERED SPECIES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ACTS OF 
DESTRUCTION OF MARINE RESOURCES, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THIS 
PURPOSE CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8550, 
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE PHILIPPINE FISHERIES CODE OF 1998, AS 
AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10654
Be it enacted by tiie Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines, in Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Section 92 of Republic Act No. 8550, as amended by Republic Act
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No. 10654, is hereby further amended to read as follows:
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"Section 92. Fishing Through Explosives, Noxious or Poisonous Substance, or
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Electricity. —
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XXX 
XXX 
XXX
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Upon conviction by court of law, the offender shall be punished with
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imprisonment from TWELVE (12) TO TWENTY (20) YEARS [five-(5> to ten
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(10) years], confiscation of catch, including those not caught illegally if co-
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mingled with those caught illegally, explosives, and noxious or poisonous
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substances, or electrofishing devices and paraphernalia, gear, and a fine
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equivalent to twice the amount of the administrative fine, without prejudice to
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the filing of separate criminal cases when the use of the same result to physical
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injury or loss of human life.
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XXX 
XXX 
XXX


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Sec 2. Section 96 of the same Code, as amended, is hereby further amended
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to read as follows:
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Section 96. Ban on Coral Exploitation and Exportation. — It shall be unlawful
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for any person or corporation to gather, possess, commercially transport, sell
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or export ordinary, semi-precious and precious corals, whether raw or in
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processed form, except for scientific or research purposes. It shall also be
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unlawful for any person, corporation or entity to commit any activity that
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damage coral reefs.
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Upon a summary finding of administrative liability, the owner/operator of the
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fishing vessel/s, boat captain, master fisherman, and recruiter or organizer of
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fish workers shall be punished with an administrative fine equivalent to eight
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(8) times the value of the corals gathered, possessed, commercially
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transported, sold, or exported, or the amount of Five hundred thousand pesos
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(P500,000.00) to Ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00), whichever is higher, and
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forfeiture of the subject corals. The offender shall also pay compensation for
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the restoration of the damaged corals reefs.
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Upon conviction by a court of law, the boat captain, master fisherman, and
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recruiter or organizer of fishworkers, shall be punished by imprisonment from
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ten (10) years to twenty (20) years and a fine equivalent to twice the
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administrative fine and forfeiture of the subject corals. HOWEVER, FOR
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LARGE SCALE CORAL EXPLOITATION, THE PUNISHMENT SHALL BE
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IMPRONMENT AND THE FINE AS HEREINBEFORE PROVIDED. FOR
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THE PURPOSE OF THIS CODE, THE TERM "LARGE SCALE" SHALL
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COVER CORALS, EXTRACTED OR EXPLOITED, WEIGHING NOT LESS
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THAN TEN (10) KILOGRAMS.
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The offender shall be required to pay the cost of restoration of the damaged
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coral reefs based on available studies and as determined by the Department.
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Sec 3. Section 97 of the same Code, as amended, is hereby further amended
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to read as follows:


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Section 97. Ban on Muro-ami, Other Methods and Gear Destructive to Coral 
Reefs and Other Marine Habitat. - (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, 
natural or juridical, to fish with gear or method that destroys coral reefs, 
seagrass beds, and other fishery marine life habitat as may be determined by 
the Department.'Muro-ami'-dx\d^ any of its variation, and such similar gears and 
methods that require diving, other physical or mechanical acts to pound the 
coral reefs and other habitat to entrap, gather or catch fish and other fishery 
species are also prohibited.
Upon a summary finding of administrative liability, the owner, operator, boat 
captain, master fisherman, and recruiter or organizer of fish workers who 
violate this provision shall suffer the penalty of an administrative fine equivalent 
to five (5) times the value of the fish caught or Two million pesos 
(P2,000,000.00), whichever is higher, and confiscation of catch and gear. The 
fish workers who serve as pounders shall be penalized with a fine of Twenty 
thousand pesos (P20,000.00) or community service in case of failure to pay the 
fine.
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Upon conviction by a court of law, the boat captain, master fisherman, and 
recruiter or organizer of fish workers shall be punished with imprisonment of 
two (2) years to ten (10) years and a fine equivalent to twice the amount of 
the administrative fine.
LARGE SCALE DESTRUCTION OF CORALS, CORAL REEFS, AND 
SEAGRASS BEDS, THROUGH "MURO-AMI" ACTIVITIES, HOWEVER, 
SHALL BE PUNISHED WITH IMPRONMENT FROM FORTY (40) YEARS 
TO LIFE IMPRINSONMENT, OR A FINE FROM ONE MILLION PESOS 
(PHP 1,000,000.00) TO TEN MILLION PESOS (PHP 10,000,000.00) OR 
BOTH SUCH FINE AND IMPRINSONMENT, AT THE DISCRETION OF 
THE COURT.
XXX XXX XXX
Sec 4. Section 102 of the same Code, as amended, is hereby further
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Section 102. Fishing or Taking of Rare, Threatened or Endangered Species. - 
(a) It shall be unlawful to fish or take, catch, gather, sell, purchase, possess, 
transport, export, forward or ship out aquatic species listed in Appendix I of 
the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Flora and Fauna (CITES), or those categorized by the International Union for 
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (lUCN) as threatened and 
determined by the Department as such.
Upon a summary finding of administrative liability, the Department shall 
penalize the offender with a fine equivalent to five times (5) times the value of 
the species or Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00) to Five million pesos 
(P5,000,000.00), whichever is higher, and forfeiture of the species.
Upon conviction by a court of law, the offender shall be punished by 
imprisonment of TWENTY (20) YEARS TO FORTY (40) YEARS [twelve (12) 
years and one (1) doy-te-twenty (20) years] and a fine equivalent to twice the 
administrative fine, forfeiture of the species and the cancellation of fishing 
permit.
Sec 5. Section 125 of RA No. 8550 will be amended as follows:
"Section 125. Strengthening Prosecution and Conviction of Violators of Fishery 
Laws. - The Department of Justice (DOJ) shall embark on a program to 
strengthen the prosecution and conviction aspects of fishery law enforcement 
through augmentation of the current complement of state prosecutors and 
through their continuous training and reorientation on fishery laws, rules and 
regulations."
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL LIKEWISE IMPLEMENT A SYSTEM OF 
REWARD AND INCENTIVES FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS 
AND/OR INFORMANTS OF VIOLATORS OF THIS CODE. THE AMOUNT 
OF MONETARY REWARD, IF ANY, SHALL NOT BE MORE THAN FIFTEEN 
PERCENT (15%) OF THE MINIMUM IMPOSABLE FINE, AND SHALL BE 
PAID WITHOUT UNNECESSARY DELAY, TO THE PROPER RECIPIENTS, 
UPON THE FILING OF THE INFORMATION WITH A COMPETENT


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COURT, OR UPON THE ISSUANCE OF A COMMITMENT ORDER IN CASE 
OF LAWFUL WARRANTLESS ARREST.
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Sec 6. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,