Phl seeks continued access to high seas tuna fishing ground

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is seeking extended fishing access to tuna-rich high seas pocket 1 of the Pacific Ocean in the next five years from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to ensure continued economic fishing activities.

Agriculture Undersecretary and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources national director Eduardo Gongona said the country is negotiating for the access to the high seas pocket 1 which is set to expire this year.

“We are negotiating continued access to high seas pocket 1 and the current terms and conditions of the existing WCPFC conservation and management measures on tropical tunas,” Gongona said in a briefing for the 14th Regular Session of the WCPFC on Sunday in Pasay City.

“We want at least five years. We have to generate income, employment and economic activities. We would like to continue that situation and we will negotiate that with the commission,” he added.

The Philippines had been granted access to the high seas pocket 1 last 2013. Access would expire this year after satisfactory conservation measures are implemented on migratory fish stocks such as tuna.

“We are committed with our tuna catch where 75 percent of that goes to export and 25 percent are processed here and all of these linkages mean income and employment for the Philippines,” Gongona said.

The high seas pocket 1 was opened in 2011 following a two-year fishing ban in all four pockets due to declining tuna catch.

The high seas pocket 1 is a common fishing ground among countries and territories adjacent to the Pacific Ocean.

Gaining access to the pocket means proving compliance to various conservation and management measures including regulation, policies, and technology.

By the end of the conference on Dec. 7, the Commission will decide whether it will grant extended access to the Philippines.

The Philippines is currently hosting the 14th WCPFC, a regional fisheries management organization, which governs fishing activities, particularly of tuna, in the high seas or waters that do not belong to any country.

The agency aims to pass conservation and management measures to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing to protect marine species and to address problems in the high seas.

The meeting will particularly focus on bridging measure for tropical tunas which has faced problems in terms of production, especially on the preservation of wild stocks and the sustainability of harvesting methods.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, markets for tuna products continue to increase based on the growth of consumption in new regions of the world and the dissemination of sushi as a global dietary trend.

The canning industry remains the main destination for most of the world’s tuna catches, led by Thailand as the largest exporter of processed tuna globally. The sushi and sashimi market is the other main destination of tuna production, particularly red meat tuna.