Tuna Producers To Insist Flying Philippine Flag In Indo Watersff

Local tuna industry players vowed to insist on carrying the Philippine flag on their fishing vessels in the wake of Indonesia’s insistence to re-flag them if tuna producers are to fish in Indonesian waters.

But newly appointed Philippine ambassador to the BIMP-Eaga, former Armed Forces chief of staff General Efren Abu, said the government washed off its hands on the matter, apparently to preserve diplomatic relations with its Southeast Asian neighbor.

It could be recalled that the bilateral fishing agreement between the two countries expired last December 2.

Indonesia initially refused to renew the agreement but later agreed to extend the pact for another year.

Indonesia, however, said Philippine fishing vessels should re-flag and reduced its Filipino crew in any future fishing pact between the two Southeast Asian countries.

”We cannot push what the Indonesian government wants to implement. We can only ask for an extension of the agreement,” Abu said.

He made the comment to reporters on Tuesday when asked about the re-flagging issue, which a prominent tuna industry leader pledged to oppose.

Marfenio Tan, president of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc., said they would fight out the re-flagging of Philippine vessels fishing in Indonesian waters.

”Indonesian authorities will arrive in the country on January 24 and we will fight out the re-flagging of our vessels,” Tan told reporters.

The foreign delegation, he added, would come to the country for final discussions regarding fishing investments of Filipinos in Indonesia.

In the past few years, local big Filipino businessmen had invested in tuna canneries in North Sulawesi in Indonesia.

Among them were fishing tycoons Tan, Rodrigo Rivera Sr., Domingo Teng, and the Damalerio family.