Similar to the Navotas Fish Complex, the General Santos Fish Port Complex in SOCCSKSARGEN is set to undergo an overhaul. During a visit of the Fish Port on February 8, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar expressed his support to rehabilitate and modernize the GenSan Fish Port.

“With seventy-five percent of the tuna supply in the country serviced by this fish port, there is a strong need for the modernization of the facility,” Dar stressed.

Dar added that tuna, with breeding area nearby General Santos City, is a very important commodity contributing to the total gross value-added coming from the fishery sector.

Based on his observations, Dar recommended additional berthing areas within the port to accommodate more fishing vessels to dock.

The Secretary also urged tapping more investors who will put up canneries and other postharvest facility systems.

“The opportunity for investments in canning tuna is a good development,” Dar said.

The GenSan Fish Port has seven canneries, as of date.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) General Manager Glen Pangapalan said the rehabilitation project for the two-decade-old fish port is timely and necessary.

He added that the PFDA recently completed the feasibility study for the rehabilitation of the fish port, which has been submitted to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) for approval.

“We expect the NEDA approval, hopefully by 2021,” Pangapalan said. ### (Kristel Merle, DA-AFID)