Senate urged to back accord protecting migratory fish

Sen. Mar Roxas has filed Senate Resolution 128, concurring in President Arroyo’s ratification of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, an accord that is seen to boost the long-term viability of the local tuna industry.

The convention provides for the long-term preservation and sustainable exploitation of largely wandering fish resources in those parts of the Pacific Ocean.

The President found it advisable to ratify the convention, and promptly endorsed the accord to the Senate for concurrence in its ratification, as required by the Philippine Constitution.

The convention already has the signature of 18 countries, territories and possessions, including the Philippines.

Of the 18 signatories, 12 have already ratified the convention, namely: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Nieu, Papua Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu.

Roxas, chairman of the Senate committee on trade and commerce, has been an ardent champion of the local tuna industry, which produces 30,000 metric tons of high-value tuna and generates P4.5 billion in revenues annually.

Roxas has been prodding government to negotiate more bilateral fishing agreements with other western and central Pacific countries so that the local tuna industry would enjoy wider access to rich fishing grounds in international waters.

The senator is also author of a bill that seeks to recognize commercial handline fishing as a form of commercial fishing under Philippine law. Once the bill is enacted, thousands of handline fisherfolks in General Santos City and Saranggani province would be able to lawfully catch tuna in international waters.

The convention recognizes the ecological and geographical vulnerability of small and developing island-states and territories in the region, and their economic and social dependence on highly roving fish stocks.

Thus, the convention requires all contracting parties to minimize waste, discards, pollution from fishing vessels, catch of non-target species (both fish and non-fish species, including endangered ones) and catch by lost or abandoned gear.

Contracting parties are likewise duty-bound to promote the development and use of selective, environmentally safe and cost-effective fishing gear and techniques.

The convention also mandates contracting parties to ensure that fishing vessels flying their flag comply strictly with the protective measures adopted, and that such vessels do not engage in activities that undermine the effectiveness of such measures.