Relaxation MHLC Regulation For Philippine Tuna Handlinersff

Representatives from all sectors of the Philippine tuna industry called on both the country’s houses of congress to fast track the passage of a bill that is expected to finally resolve vital concerns affecting the competitiveness of the country’s tuna handline sector. In a resolution presented to Agriculture Secretary Luis “Cito” Lorenzo at the recent National Tuna Congress, conference participants urged the legislative branch to expedite the passage of House Bill 5842 proposing several amendments to the 1998 Fisheries Code, foremost of which is the identification and re-classification of local commercial handline fishing and commercial handline fishing vessels.

The resolution is aimed at ensuring the development and continued expansion of the local handline fishing industry.

Handline fishing is an important component of the Mindanao fishing industry. It consists of 2,500 outrigger boats, employs over 30,000 fishermen, and lands over 30,000 MT of high-value tuna each year.

The handline sector posts annual revenues of around P4.5 billion, with the frozen sashimi processing sector accounting for more than 50 % of this figure or P2.5 billion in total export earnings.

Under the Fisheries Code, all handline fishing vessels are classified as small commercial vessels exceeding three gross tons. Maritime Industry Authority’s (MARINA) rules and regulations, on the other hand, do not give a clear distinction between simple and sophisticated fishing craft.

As a result, tuna handline operators - whose fleets are composed mostly of outrigger pumpboats that do not require advanced equipment and highly skilled crewmembers - are not able to meet the strict registration requirements set by the MARINA and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The bill will free the handline sector from these restrictive government regulations, as the words “commercial handline fishing” and “commercial handline fishing vessels” will now be included in the Fishery Code’s definition of terms.

HB 5842 defines commercial handline fishing as “a traditional, passive fishing method which utilizes a single line and an attached hook.”  Commercial handline fishing, on the other hand, is defined in the bill as “a commercial fishing vessel that exclusively utilizes the commercial handline fishing method.”

At the same time, HB 5842 will attune Philippine laws to the guidelines set by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the body tasked to implement the agreements reached during the Multilateral High Level Conference on Management of Highly Migratory Fishes in the Western and Central Pacific (MHLC).

The guidelines require that all commercial vessels that fish in international waters within the Commission’s area of jurisdiction should be duly licensed with the regulating body.

To address this concern, HB 5842 proposed that the local handline fleet be allowed to operate in international waters provided that “MARINA will promulgate manning and safety rules and regulations for commercial handline fishing vessels that reflect the simplicity and traditional nature of these craft.”

The public hearing for HB 5842 has been scheduled for late October.