7 January 2003
The Philippines
The Philippine fisheries sector is optimistic about the eventual ratification of a multilateral pact toward the sustainable management of the Pacific's declining fishery resources.
Through the prodding of Philippine fisheries officials, Japan, a major fishing and fish-consuming nation, has returned to the discussion table after a two-year absence through its participation in the Third Preparatory Conference for the implementation of the Multilateral Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Species in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean held last month in Manila.
The Philippines has major interest in the agreement due to its sizeable tuna industry, with a major tuna landing port and large canneries in General Santos City, Mindanao. While Japan is renowned for its large fishing fleets in the Pacific as it is also being the biggest net importer of fish in the world. Japan is also the biggest buyer of sashimi-grade tuna from the Philippines.
Twenty-one nations have already signed the convention but it still needs to be ratified by at least 13 of them by September 2003 for it to take effect.
The recent Manila conference, participated in by 29 countries and six inter-government organizations, is part of a series of conferences that will draft rules of procedure and administrative guidelines toward the formal establishment of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in early 2004.
Latest studies show that Yellowfin and albacore tuna stocks are being fished in the Pacific Ocean at close to maximum sustainable yields (MSY) while Bigeye tuna catches are already at MSY. Fishing of skipjack tuna is still at safe levels.
Meanwhile, the Philippines and Palau are expected to formalize a fisheries cooperation agreement early next year. A Philippine delegation, led by Agriculture Undersecretary Cesar Drilon, recently met with top-level Palau officials in October to draw up the pact's initial draft.
