Press Release
April 19, 2007

Recto wants greater support for tuna industry
'More navy patrols to shoo away poachers in tuna highway'

Senator Ralph Recto is urging government to give bigger support to the tuna industry in order to improve its global competitiveness and ensure the growth of the fishing fleets and municipal fisherfolk, particularly in Mindanao.

Recto stressed that the $200 million tuna industry should be promoted since the country enjoys the advantage of being right in the center of traditional tuna fishing grounds, and schools of tuna abound in the sea bordering Indonesia and farthest west to Papua New Guinea.

The senator noted that more scientific studies should be funded by the government to determine the best times to catch various tuna species.

Another question is the proper management of the tuna population, and the use of better fishing gear and technologies that allow young tuna to grow and mature while harvesting those that are legally and environmentally appropriate to catch.

"We are supposed to be the biggest tuna producer but Thailand appears to be the dominant player in the tuna market. We also need to have bigger vessels for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to control our maritime borders and apprehend foreign vessels that continue to poach in our waters," Recto said.

"The threat of overfishing is also there and we might as well educate ourselves on good fishing practices to ensure that the species that give us bountiful income would grow and become bountiful," he added.

Apart from catching tuna for the Japanese market alone, Recto is batting for increased research into other tuna products that the country can manufacture, noting that canned tuna production is dominated by other countries.

"Perhaps, greater scientific studies could be done to know if the omega fatty acids from tuna could be extracted and marketed, along with the possibility of cashing in on tuna delicacies as the world turns to natural food and healthy seafood," Recto stressed.

He said the recent signing of Republic Act 9379, "An Act Defining Hand-line Fishing, Providing Effective Regulations Therefore and for Other Purposes," also worked wonders for the industry since it frees the hand-line sector from restrictive government policies and sets more practical manning and registration requirements for hand-line operators and fisherfolk.

Recto said Marfenio Tan, president of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., and executive director Bayani Fredeluces, also welcomed the signing of the law.

Under the new law, a hand-line boat master need not be a licensed boat captain, and will be issued a license by MARINA once he or she undergoes theoretical and practical training.

Further, boat engine officers are not required to have college graduate diplomas or to be licensed as boat engineers if they completed the training required by MARINA.

RA 9379 specifies the roles of Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The registration, inspection, manning and other documentation requirements of hand-line fishing boats as "flag" boats will be done by MARINA, while the licensing and related documentation of these vessels as fishing boats will fall under the mandate of BFAR.

Recto said hand-line fishing is an important component of Mindanao 's fishing industry, 80 percent of which is centered in Gen. Santos City. It is comprised of 2,500 outrigger boats manned by over 40,000 fishermen.

Hand-line fishing nets more than 30,000 metric tons (MT) of high-value tuna each year. The hand-line sector posts annual revenues of around P4.5 billion, with the frozen sashimi processing sector accounting for more than half of the figure, or P2.5 billion, in total export earnings.

Hand-line fishing uses the traditional hook and line method and is considered one of the best means of catching large tuna and marlin. The method is also eco-friendly as hand-line fishermen catch only mature fish.

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