Around 700 delegates from about 30 countries is meeting this week at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City to craft new conservation measures for the tuna-rich Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO).

 

The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) is hosting the 14th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission or the WCPFC from December 3-7. Philippines’ Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol graced the event’s opening program as the guest of honor.

 

“We consider it a great privilege to host this annual session in Manila. We see this gathering as a special and meaningful way how the Filipino people can contribute to sustainable fisheries management especially in the high seas, a resource that all of us share,” Piñol said in his keynote speech.

 

A regional fisheries management organization, the WCPFC governs fishing activities, particularly of tuna, in the high seas or waters that do not belong to any country. The Commission’s annual meetings are aimed at developing conservation and management measures (CMMs) for highly migratory fish stocks such as tuna.

 

CMMs are considered binding by WCPFC member states. These are aimed at curbing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, protecting particular marine and bird species, and addressing various problems in high seas fisheries.

 

Included in the session’s agenda this week is a CMM on tropical tunas including bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin. A related intersessional meeting was held at PICC on December 1 to progress the bridging measure for the said species.

 

The Philippines’ Undersecretary for Fisheries Eduardo Gongona expressed his support for the CMM on tropical tunas, and hoped for its adoption by consensus by member countries.

 

Gongona is the head of the Philippine delegation, which is composed of BFAR directors, technical personnel, and representatives from the Philippine tuna fishing industry.

 

In his opening message, Mr. Gongona also thanked the tuna fishing groups in Navotas City and General Santos which have been actively involved in the preparations for the international event.

 

Also present in the event’s opening ceremony is the Commission’s Executive Director Feleti Teo, and this year’s WCPFC chairperson Rhea Christian-Moss from the Federated States of Micronesia.

 

The WCPO is the source of about 2.8 million metric tons of tuna, valued at 5.3 billion US dollars in 2016. That is 79% of the aggregate catch in the entire Pacific Ocean, and 56% of the total global tuna catch.

 

The Philippines, in particular, contributes an annual tuna catch of 248,000 metric tons, or 9-10% of the total production of WCPO.

 

Aside from its economic importance, tuna fishing provides food and livelihood for millions of people across WCPFC member countries and territories.

 

The Philippine government, for one, strives for utmost cooperation with the WCPFC as the tuna industry form part of the country’s pillar for food security. # # # (DA-BFAR/photo by Darius Mangampo, AFID)