Fishing industry in General Santos city is facing job crisis this year owing to the two-year tuna fishing ban in the Pacific Ocean. The Socsksargen Fishing Federation and Allied Industries Inc. (SFFAII) warned that the number of jobs is based on the 200 mother fishing boats, including ocean-going super seiners, and the canning industry that employs locals and contributes four percent of the gross national product worth P50 billion.
Marfenio Tan, SFFAII president, opined that for their projection this year, the ban would render idle at least 200 fishing boats. He further adds that the tuna catch will dip by 20 percent during the first quarter. Displaced fishermen will definitely have to look for other fishing grounds to compensate their losses.
He told that the ban could really harm the entire fishing business in the southern part of the region. For now, the effect is already being felt by some 50,000 families dependent on the tuna fishing and canning industry. The Department of Labor and Employment has already taken measures to mitigate the impact of the ban. Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said the DoLE has prepared emergency employment and other livelihood programs for fishermen likely to be displaced by the ban.
Roque also said that the ban will hurt 50 fishing companies in Saranggani and General Santos, 13 of which have licenses to fish in the high seas covered by the purse seine ban.
Unless concrete measures are set in place, Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana, head of the Mindanao Economic Development Council, earlier said that the closure of the high seas will not only affect fishermen but also auxiliary businesses.
According to the SSFAII said the government through the DoLE should immediately forge bilateral partnerships with other countries in terms of sharing ocean resources to moderate the effects of the fishing ban. Two-year ban on tuna fishing in the Pacific Ocean, which took effect last January 1, was implemented by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) due to the alleged dwindling population of the yellow fin and big-eye tuna in the high seas.
