RP seeks access to fishing grounds of 3 countries

The Department of Agriculture will hold bilateral talks with counterparts in three countries in the Pacific region to seek access in their rich fishing grounds. The talks will be held during the two-day 3rd National Tuna Congress in General Santos on Sept. 13 and 14, 2001.

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Q. Montemayor has invited Minister Fritz Koshiba of the Ministry of Resources and Development of the Republic of Palau; Minister Rokmin Dahuri of Jakarta’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and Minister Ron Ganarato of the National Fisheries Authority of Papua New Guinea. The invitation is for them to attend the tuna congress and for bilateral consultations on fisheries issues with neighboring states.

The tuna congress will be held at the Family Country Hotel and Convention Center in General Santos with the theme: "Fish without borders: Moving towards regional cooperation."

The congress aims to: a) present status reports on the Philippine and Pacific tuna fisheries and associated processing markets; b) disseminate information on regional tuna management (including the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention on illegal unreported and unregulated fishing); c) develop a consensus on further actions in pursuit of regional cooperation in tuna management and d) gain insights on the policies and regulations of Pacific neighbors with regard to tuna management.

The congress is sponsored jointly by the Socksargen Federation of Fishing Associations and Allied Industries (SFFAAI), the DA, the local governments of Gen. Santos City, Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) program of the USAID; the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. said that while there is an existing agreement called Multilateral High Level Conference on the management of straddling and migratory fish stocks, such bilateral agreements will not necessarily contravene the Philippines’ commitment to this convention.

The UN convention is composed of 26 countries in the Pacific rim area, 16 of which are in the Western Pacific region. Included in this convention are Japan, France, New Zealand and Australia, which are now the recognized leaders.

Sarmiento said the convention members are currently working for stricter regulations and control on the use of their deep sea fishing grounds in view of an alarming decline in fish stocks, due to over-fishing and excess exploitation.

The Food and Agriculture Organization has projected that after five years, the main source of fish protein will come from inland or aquaculture.

Currently, 29 percent of total global supply of fish comes from aquaculture – but in the Philippines it accounts for one-third of total fish supply – and this would grow to 50 percent in five years, Sarmiento said.

"Even before we reach that stage, the BFAR is now working out a lot of programs in aquaculture that would come up with different fish species that can be cultured and harvested inland, rather than caught in the high seas, to ensure that we can continue to feed the population with affordable protein sources," Sarmiento said.