GenSan tuna industry players push for creation of fisheries dep’t

Tuna catch at the fish port in General Santos City. File photo by Richelyn Gubalani

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 29 August) — Tuna industry players here have pushed for the creation of a separate Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) to unlock the full potential of the country’s fisheries sector.

At present, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an agency responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the Philippine fisheries and aquatic resources, is under the Department of Agriculture.

In a press conference Monday for the 22nd National Tuna Congress on September 1-2, Rosanna Contreras, executive director of the Soccsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc., said their proposal for a separate department of fisheries has not prospered.

Various bills had been filed in previous Congresses for such purpose but none of them passed second reading, Contreras said.

The need to sustain and improve the supply of the Filipino’s protein requirements is enough basis to create a DFAR, she said.

“Right now, there are 19 bills that are being pushed in the House of Representatives in relation to this proposal, while there are three proposed bills in the Senate. Every Congress we always reiterate this call,” she said.

But Contreras added they are optimistic that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will support the proposal.

The tuna congress here on Thursday will tackle various challenges affecting the industry and set fresh strategies to sustain their competitiveness in the global markets.

The two-day congress, which will be held at the trade halls of the SM Mall here, carries the theme “Philippine Tuna Industy: Braving Rough Seas Towards a Better Tomorrow.”

It will end with the presentation of 29 resolutions on various concerns of the industry.

The tuna congress is among the highlights of the city’s 2022 Tuna Festival. Dubbed the country’s “tuna capital,” this city has hosted the National Tuna Congress since it was first staged 22 years ago.

The city hosts six of the country’s seven tuna canneries and other related ventures that generate an average of over US$ 300 million in annual export receipts. (Richelyn Gubalani/MindaNews)