TO:	THE MINISTER, MINISTRY OF LABOR THE MINISTER, MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES THE MINISTER, MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE THE MINISTER, MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS

WHEREAS, the Fishing Industry contribute 4.9 percent to the Philippines gross national product;

WHEREAS, some 2.2 Million Filipinos depend directly on the fishing industry for livelihood;

WHEREAS, municipal fishing contributes 60 percent to total fish production and employs approximately half a million fishermen;

WHEREAS, several area studies reveal that more than half of the population of fishermen and their families live in poverty; income from fishing of the municipal fishermen is relatively low due to seasonality and often subject to vagaries of weather and other conditions; there is evident depletion of our natural resources due to pollution, illegal and destructive fishing methods; municipal fishermen are most often unorganised and do not effectively derive benefits from the existing government programs;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E, MARCOS, President of the Philippines do hereby direct the following for the implementation of the agencies concerned:

1. The Minister of Labor shall accelerate the formation and organization of small fishermen's associations in coordination with the Bureau of Cooperative Development and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in order to strengthen their capabilities to benefit from existing government programs;
   
   
2. The Minister of National Defense jointly with the Minister Natural Resources and the Minister of Public Works shall conduct intensive campaigns against illegal fishing, illegal construction of fishponds, dikes, fish pens, and the like;
   
   
3. The Minister of Natural Resources upon the recommendation of the Director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources shall deputized small fishermen who are officials of duly recognized and  registered fisherman associations as fish wardens to guarantee ensure the proper enforcement of all fishery laws, rules and regulations;

THIS LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.

Done in the City of Manila, this 8th day of September, 1979.