Alarmed by the Philippines’ fast depleting tuna production, the country’s Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. on Friday ordered the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to accelerate the drafting of an administrative order increasing the allowable size of the net mesh used by tuna fishers to three inches in diameter from the present 1.6 inches.
Lorenzo said the move will regulate both the municipal and commercial fishing of skipjack and yellow-fin tuna, two species that command good prices in local and foreign markets but which now near the limits of their maximum sustainable yield because of commercialization.
“At present more and more tuna fisheries use small mesh that traps not only adult fishes but juveniles as well, leaving very little opportunity for the two tuna species to increase and multiply so they can supply even future demands,†he told reporters in a news conference.
The official warned that they need to come out with stricter measures against wanton overfishing by increasing the net-mesh size because the exploitation of skipjacks and yellow-fin tuna in Philippine waters is nearing the limits of maximum sustainable yield.
Lorenzo, likewise, said that BFAR officials had consulted municipal and commercial fishermen in General Santos City about the government moves to increase the net-mesh size.
He added that the pending measure had also been discussed with the private sector and would be considered by the Philippine Tuna Producers Association in its scheduled meeting.
The DA chief pointed out that the country is currently seeking help from the South Pacific Commission for the conduct of detailed biological studies for all tuna species in the country to help authorities arrive at sound policies and programs geared toward sustainable development.