After a two-year slump, the country’s fisheries sector has seen brighter prospects this year as tuna catch is picking up and domestic fish supply is increasing.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala attributed the development ton the government’s conservation efforts and the imposition of “no-fishing seasons” in the waters off Visayas and Mindanao.
Alcala said the increase was a result of the lifting of the fishing ban on tuna.
He cited the so-called “Pocket 1” of the Pacific Ocean when Filipino fishermen resumed their operations in 2012 in the area which resulted in more catch.
Pocket 1 of the Pacific Ocean is bounded by Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Because of conservation in the area, commercial catch of bigeye and yellowfin tuna in 2012 totaled 7,912 metric tons (MT) and 77,730 MT, respectively,
These were 31 and 13 percent more compared to the total catch in 2011 of bigeye tuna (6,021 MT) and yellowfin tuna (68,625 MT), respectively.
