Philippine Industry Desperately Needs Alternative Tuna Fishing Groundsff

From Philippine Daily Inquirer

The government is scheduled to negotiate for fishing access agreements with Palau Island and Papua New Guinea this month, a senior agriculture official said.

In an interview, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento Jr. said the move was necessary in view of the fallout in the negotiations with the Indonesia for access to its fishing grounds.

“With Indonesia, we will try to do another round of talks [this month] but I’m not putting so much hope anymore in the renegotiation,” Sarmiento said.

Instead, he said, the Philippine government is considering other fishing areas, including Palau Island and Papua New Guinea.

According to Sarmiento, the government is eyeing for a joint venture-type of deal that will allow certain number of Philippine fishing vessels to operate in Palau.

At the same time, Sarmiento is urging private sector operators especially those in the canneries and fisheries business to consider investing in Palau.

Since 2007, the government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has been looking for new fishing grounds in other countries and territories. The Philippines fears of a significant loss in fishery resources in view of the government's failure to obtain a new fishing access deal after the old one expired in 2006.

The DA is also working on an access agreement with the Solomon Islands, Micronesia and Kiribati.

Last year, the Philippines signed an agreement with Timor Leste for access to each other’s fishing grounds, as well as for joint initiatives for sustainable fishing resources management.