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Same permits apply to: tilapia farming, bangus farming.
Every private fishpond, hatchery and breeding facility must be registered with your city or municipality, and the law requires a licence, lease or permit to culture fish. Operating without one can draw a fine of ₱500,000 to ₱1,000,000. Ponds on public land need a BFAR Fishpond Lease Agreement, and BFAR Region 4A lists a ₱10,000 application fee. Owners must also report species and harvest volume each year, or pay ₱5,000 per unreported hectare.[5,6,7]
Private land: register the pond with your LGU
RA 8550 requires all fish hatcheries, fish breeding facilities and private fishponds to be registered with the LGU, which sets minimum standards for them. The registration fee is set by your city or municipality.[5]
RA 10654 makes it unlawful to culture fish or operate fishponds, fish pens or fish cages without a license, lease or permit. The administrative fine for operating without one is ₱500,000 to ₱1,000,000.[6]
Start at your municipal agriculture or fisheries office. Bring your land title or lease and a simple layout of the ponds.
Public land: the Fishpond Lease Agreement
RA 8550 caps fishpond leases at 50 hectares for individuals and 250 hectares for corporations or fisherfolk organizations. A lease runs 25 years and can be renewed for another 25.[5]
BFAR Region 4A's charter lists a ₱10,000 application fee, an initial rental of ₱1,500 and a ₱500 cash bond per hectare or fraction, and a bank certificate showing ₱150,000 on deposit per hectare. It lists 35 working days of total processing.[7]
BFAR Region 1's FLA page lists a ₱1,000 application fee and a ₱20 certification fee, and its final requirements include a DENR Environmental Compliance Certificate.[1]
Because the regional pages differ, ask your BFAR provincial office which schedule it uses before you budget.
The yearly report to BFAR
Owners and operators of fishponds, fish pens and fish cages must file an annual report with the Department of Agriculture. Missing it carries a fine of ₱5,000 per unreported hectare. If the pond is under a Fishpond Lease Agreement and you miss the report two years in a row, the lease is cancelled.[6]
Keep a harvest log with dates, species and volumes for each pond, so the yearly report takes minutes.
Laguna de Bay and environmental papers
Fishponds and fish hatcheries in earthen or concrete tanks inside the Laguna de Bay Region need LLDA clearance.[2]
The ECC comes from DENR-EMB, a separate agency. Start that process early, and ask EMB whether your pond needs a full ECC or a Certificate of Non-Coverage.
Selling and shipping your harvest
Where a Domestic Health Certificate is required for shipping fish or fishery products, BFAR charges ₱50 per certificate. You file a request form, the fish go through laboratory analysis, and the charter lists 1 hour, 30 minutes.[3]
RSBSA registration with the Department of Agriculture is free and voluntary. Registered fisherfolk can apply for DA programs such as loans, insurance and inputs.[4]
Questions people ask
- Do I need to register a fish pond on my own land?
- Yes. RA 8550 requires private fishponds, hatcheries and fish breeding facilities to be registered with the LGU. The fee is set by your city or municipality.
- How much is a Fishpond Lease Agreement?
- BFAR Region 4A lists a ₱10,000 application fee, plus ₱1,500 initial rental and a ₱500 cash bond per hectare. BFAR Region 1's page lists a ₱1,000 application fee and ₱20 certification fee. Ask your BFAR office which applies.
- How long is a Fishpond Lease Agreement?
- 25 years, renewable for another 25, under RA 8550. It covers public land only.
- What is the fine for not filing the yearly fishpond report?
- ₱5,000 per unreported hectare under RA 10654. An FLA holder who misses the report two years in a row loses the lease.
- Do I need LLDA clearance?
- Only if your fishpond or hatchery is inside the Laguna de Bay Region. LLDA Board Resolution 408 lists fishponds and hatcheries among activities needing clearance.
- What about fish cages in municipal waters?
- RA 10654 requires a license, lease or permit to operate fish pens and fish cages. For cages in municipal waters, ask your municipal agriculture office which permit it issues.
Before you stock your pond
- Get a copy of the land title or lease so you know if it is public or private land.
- Register a private pond with your city or municipal agriculture office.
- Ask your BFAR provincial office for its FLA fee schedule if the land is public.
- Check if your site is inside the Laguna de Bay Region.
- Ask DENR-EMB if you need an ECC or a Certificate of Non-Coverage.
- Keep a harvest log for the yearly BFAR report.
- Sign up for RSBSA at your municipal agriculture office.
Sources
Checked 13 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- Fishpond Lease Agreement Requirement (FAO 197) · BFAR Region 1
- LLDA Board Resolution No. 408, s. 2011: Revised Definition of Developmental Activities Required to Secure LLDA Clearance · Supreme Court E-Library (text of LLDA resolution) · 24 March 2011
- BFAR Citizen's Charter (29 Feb 2024) · Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources · 29 February 2024
- RSBSA FAQs · Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-RFO-CAR) · February 2024
- Republic Act No. 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) · Lawphil Project (Congress of the Philippines) · 25 February 1998
- Republic Act No. 10654 (amending RA 8550) · Lawphil Project (Congress of the Philippines) · 27 February 2015
- Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) | BFAR-CALABARZON Online Information Management System · BFAR Region 4A (CALABARZON)
The extra permits, in one table
| Permit or registration | Agency | When it applies | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA), FAO 197 (BFAR Region 1 page)[1] | Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) | only for fishponds on public (government) land; 25-year lease per BFAR charter | ₱1,000 application fee + ₱20 certification fee (BFAR Region 1 page); initial capital ₱10,000 per hectare |
| Environmental Compliance Certificate for the fishpond[1] | DENR Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) | required in final FLA requirements (fishponds on public land) | Not published |
| LLDA Clearance[2] | Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) | fishponds and hatcheries inside the Laguna de Bay Region | Not published |
| Domestic Health Certificate (DHC) for fish and fishery products[3] | Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) | when shipping fish/fishery products domestically where a DHC is required | PHP 50 per certificate (FAO 233) |
| RSBSA registration[4] | Department of Agriculture (DA) | voluntary; needed to receive DA programs | free |
| Register a private fishpond, hatchery or breeding facility with the city or municipality[5] | LGU (city/municipality) | all private fishponds, fish hatcheries and fish breeding facilities | set by the city or municipality |
| Yearly report of species and production volume to DA-BFAR[6] | DA-BFAR | all fishpond, fish pen and fish cage operators | no fee; fine of ₱5,000 per unreported hectare (RA 10654 Sec. 109) |
| Licence, lease or permit needed to culture fish or run a fishpond, pen or cage[6] | DA-BFAR | any person culturing fish or operating fishponds, fish pens or fish cages | administrative fine of ₱500,000 to ₱1,000,000 for operating without one |
| Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) on public land: application fee (BFAR Region 4A charter)[7] | DA-BFAR (Provincial Fisheries Office) | use of public land released for fishpond development | ₱10,000 application fee (BFAR Region 4A) |
| FLA initial rental and cash bond per hectare (BFAR Region 4A)[7] | DA-BFAR | FLA applicants | ₱1,500 initial rental and ₱500 cash bond per hectare or fraction |
| FLA capital proof: bank certificate showing ₱150,000 per hectare (BFAR Region 4A)[7] | DA-BFAR | FLA applicants | not a fee: proof of a ₱150,000 deposit per hectare or fraction |
If it's a tilapia farming: private land or public land?
The FLA applies only to fishponds on government land. BFAR Region 1's page lists a ₱1,000 application fee plus a ₱20 certification fee, and the lease is notarized once approved.[1]
If you dig ponds or set tanks on land you own or rent, the FLA does not apply. Register the pond with your city or municipality instead, as explained above, and ask your municipal agriculture office what it needs from you.
If it's a bangus farming: three checks before you lease or build a pond
First, find out if the land is public. The Fishpond Lease Agreement under FAO 197 is only for public land. BFAR Region 1's page gives a 25-year lease, a ₱1,000 application fee, a ₱20 certification fee and a listed initial capital of ₱10,000 per hectare.[1]
Second, check if you are inside the Laguna de Bay Region, where fishponds and hatcheries need LLDA clearance.[2]
Third, ask DENR-EMB early about your environmental papers. The ECC is in BFAR's final FLA requirements, so ask EMB whether your pond needs a full ECC or whether a Certificate of Non-Coverage is enough.[1]
Rules and exemptions
Selling rules that apply
- FLA limits: up to 50 ha for individuals, 250 ha…: RA 8550 s.46: fishpond lease max 50 ha (individuals) / 250 ha (corporations, fisherfolk orgs), 25 years renewable for another 25[5]