Saturday, March 15, 2008 RP, Indonesia still ironing fishing pact
THE Philippines and Indonesia are still negotiating the possible renewal of a bilateral fishing agreement, a tuna industry official in General Santos City said amid reports that Indonesia is no longer allowing tuna stocks caught in their waters to be transported back in the city.
Bayani Fredeluces, executive director of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., noted that Indonesia is still not capable of adequately processing tuna products on their own because of lack of facilities.
"So far, the federation has not received official notice that Indonesia is banning the transport of tuna caught in their waters," he said in an interview.
Fredeluces revealed that a top level negotiation between the two governments have not yet reached a closure, with a new round of meeting slated in May where the parties are expected to finally settle the issue.
Indonesia is pushing for foreign investments in their country's fledging tuna industry, he said, adding that tuna caught in Indonesian waters are still accessible for processing by tuna canneries based in General Santos City.
Fredeluces said the stand of Indonesia regarding the transport of tuna caught in their waters would be officially known after the scheduled meeting of both sides in early May in Manila.
Earlier, Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. told reporters that "Indonesia recently adapted a policy of fish caught in Indonesia belongs to Indonesia."
Tuna producers from General Santos, dubbed the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines," have been sourcing significant stocks from international waters, particularly in Indonesia. Six of the country's eight tuna canneries are based in this locality.
Acharon suggested the settling of maritime boundary between Indonesia and Philippines as one of the solutions to address local tuna supply, which is said to be also reeling from the effects of global warming.
Fredeluces said the Philippine panel is working for the renewal of a bilateral fishing agreement with Indonesia.
The five-year bilateral fishing agreement between the country and Indonesia ended in December 2005, but was extended until the end of 2006.
Under the bilateral fishing agreement, Philippine tuna fleets are allowed to "catch tuna and tuna-like species within the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone."
It provided licenses to the Philippines for 75 catcher vessels, 150 fish carriers, 20 long liners, 300 light boats, and 10 single purse seiners, and allowed access to the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas of the Indonesian EEZ. It also provides offloading and re-supply access to 10 Indonesian ports.
Marfenio Tan, one of the large tuna producers here and who is also SFFAII president, has said the Indonesian government had also considered the implementation of a quota system in lieu of the bilateral fishing agreement.
Under the scheme, 70 percent of the fish catch shall be retained in Indonesia and the rest will be allowed for Philippine fishing operators to take home, he added.
Industry players had projected the local tuna industry would hurt by as much as 25 percent without the access to rich fishing ground of Indonesia. (BSS)
