Philippines Sends Mission To East Timor To Catch Tunaff
6 October 2008
Philippines The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and tuna fishing companies will survey Timor Leste’s Banda Sea next month to jump-start the country’s bid to catch tuna in the area, officials said yesterday.
â€We can go to Timor Leste in November after the budget hearing [of BFAR],†Malcolm I. Sarmiento, director of BFAR, said in a phone interview. Meanwhile, Assistant Director Gil A. Adora said “the private sector is still organizing themselves (for the trip).â€
In August, the Philippines and Timor Leste signed a memorandum of agreement on fisheries sectors.
Specifically, Manila and Dili agreed to cooperate in post-harvest; fish processing development and marketing; coastal management and development; marine fisheries conservation; combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices; as well as environmental protection.
