Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law [in the Philippines]: an assessment of the effects of exemption of fishponds
1999
Pahilanga, J.H. | Napilan, L. | Lumampao, L. (Philippines Univ, in the Visayas, Miag-ao, Iloilo (Philippines). Inst. of Fisheries)
The exemption of fishponds from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law [CARL] is a positive development. In the aquaculture industry, culture is not a land-based venture. Hence, there is a need to draw the line between agricultural activity and fishpond or prawn farming activity. In aquaculture, land is only incidental to the raising of fish or other aquatic species. Subjecting fishponds and prawn farms to agrarian reform may lead to serious problems such as conflict over water sources, difficulty of finding large compartments which require earth-moving, sourcing of capital and other inputs and the possible adoption of intensive culture systems which can result to further environmental deterioration. Forty percent of farmworkers had no idea on CARP [Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program]. Ninety percent were in favor of the exemption. Likewise, fishpond owners were for the exemption of fishponds and welcomed Republic Act 7881 as an amendment to CARL. For the three regions [Region 3, Central Luzon; Region 6, Western Visayas; Region 9, Western Mindanao, Philippines] covered in the study, R.A. No. 7881 exempts 50, 305 ha of privately-owned/titled fishponds. With the exemption of fishponds and prawn farms from the CARL, it is expected that the prevailing employment terms and production trends will continue. Milkfish will continue to be the dominant species while prawn will be a minor crop unless an effective remedy for luminous bacteria and other pathogenic bacteria is developed
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