Romblon, Mindoro poised to become new ‘tuna capital’

CALAPAN CITY , Philippines   â€“ Two of the island provinces in the MIMAROPA Region – Romblon and Occidental Mindoro – could be the next, or even dislodge in the nearest future, General Santos City in Mindanao as the “tuna capital” of the Philippines.

This was learned after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 4B disclosed that for the last one year and several months now, there has been an increase of 35 percent in tuna catch in the whole MIMAROPA (Mindoro-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan) Region, and most of the times, surpassing the number of tuna caught in General Santos City in the Mindanao Region.

BFAR national director Asis G. Perez and Romblon governor Eduardo C. Firmalo both confirmed this, adding that the national government should encourage the establishment of major sea ports and cannery or manufacturing factory to support the emerging tuna industry in the provinces of Romblon and Occidental Mindoro, which are part of fish sources in the West Philippine Sea.

Although failing to give further figures or detailed statistics regarding the catch of tuna, an important large marine food and game fish related to mackerel, Perez said the significant volume of tuna catch in Romblon and Mindoro may topple GenSan from the no. 1 spot should tuna canneries be established in the said areas.

The coastal town of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, parading their large volume of tuna catch in the whole year, has now included “tuna festival” in their annual festivities.

The disclosures were made as the BFAR launched over the weekend the national program Municipal Fisherfolk Registration or FishR.

Held at the function hall of Filipiniana Resort Hotel in this city, FishR was launched to fast-track, enhance and complete the nationwide registration of all municipal fisherfolks in accordance with Republic Act 8550, or “The Fisheries Code of the Philippines.”  Through the said program, BFAR seeks to officially register 111,034 fisherfolk in the entire MIMAROPA region.