Philippine coast guard has imposed a fishing ban covering central and southern parts of the country as the death toll from three weeks of rains rose to 54. Authorities are preventing small fishing boats from going out to sea as searches were stepped up for more than 30 fishermen missing in western Palawan and central Bicol regions. There have been more than half a dozen accidents over the past week due to rough seas. Reports say there were fears that the missing fishermen might have died. Floodwaters have inundated about a third of the country's 80 provinces. Head of the government's disaster agency, said the rains, which the weather bureau have said could last until late next month, have so far affected about 1.6 million people.