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Monday, December 05, 2005
Mayor welcomes extension of RP-Indonesia fishing pact
By Aquiles Zonio
THE local government and the fishing sector here lauded Indonesian government for allowing the one-year extension of the bilateral fishing agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia.
The pact, signed three years ago, expired early this month.
The agreement allows the Filipino-owned fishing vessels to conduct fishing operations on the rich fishing grounds of Indonesia.
Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. said the efforts and hard work exerted by the Philippine government finally paid off.
Since September this year, Acharon had been appealing to Malacañang to exert all efforts to extend if not renew the bilateral fishing agreement between the country and Indonesia.
The Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, created a team to negotiate with Indonesia.
The team, led by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director Malcolm Samiento, included leaders from the fishing industry.
Acharon added that the extension was a welcome respite especially for the fishing sector.
The mayor urged local fishing operators to start looking for other fishing grounds instead of focusing mainly on Indonesian waters.
"This is a wake up call for our local fish producers. As early as now they should start looking for other areas where they can operate. The one year extension would give our local fishing operators a chance to find new fishing grounds," the mayor said.
Those who attended the November 26 meeting held in Jakarta, Indonesia were Sarmiento, Ronnel Rivera of RD Fishing, Dexter Teng, Ritzi Ritz Tan, who represented Marfin Tan, president of Socsksargen Fishing Federation and Allied Services, Inc.
Based on the data supplied by the Growth with Equity in Mindanao over 60 percent or 276,000 metric tons of about 400,000 metric tons of tuna landed here in 2002 was caught in foreign waters.
The data further revealed that tuna industry in the country is responsible for almost US$1 billion circulating in the national economy, much of it goes to Mindanao.
(December 5, 2005 issue)
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