Tuesday, September 02, 2008 National tuna congress links investment with conservation
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The conservation of marine resources on which the expanding tuna and aquaculture industries depend on is the focus of the two-day 10th National Tuna Congress that will open Tuesday.
Investment opportunities in tuna processing, fish farming, and boat building will be presented along with initiatives in resource management, such as the tuna tagging project of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
A sizable contingent of foreign participants is expected, organizers say, including businessmen, scientists and policy experts.
This underscores the trans-national nature of the Pacific tuna and aquaculture industries, and the need to address their concerns jointly through various disciplines.
One session will focus on the Coral Triangle initiative to conserve marine resources in the western Pacific, including the tuna spawning grounds lying off the Philippines and Indonesia.
There will also be reports on local resource management efforts, such as the Sarangani Bay initiative, the Mariculture Park diversification program of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-Bfar), and the conservation policies of Papua New Guinea.
The event is organized by Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., whose members include purse seine and handline fishing groups, tuna canners, processors, and traders, and aquaculture producers.
Support for the Tuna Congress is provided by the city government, Socsksargen Area Development Project Office, 1st Congressional District of South Cotabato, DA-Bfar, Department of Trade and Industry, and USAids's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program.
Since its formation in 1999, the federation has advocated for a more competitive and sustainable tuna sector, and played a crucial role in turning what was once a small Mindanao industry into a force in international fisheries. Over 1,000 metric tons of fish are landed daily in Socsksargen, which comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, and General Santos City.
The area exports approximately US$280 million annually in canned tuna and other processed tuna products, representing about 4 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
