KEY PLAYERS in the country’s bustling tuna industry repeated their call for key policy reforms at the recently concluded 13th National Tuna Congress held in General Santos City.
Some 400 delegates representing a cross-section of the tuna industry passed eight resolutions urging the government to act on pressing issues to further enhance the competitiveness of the country’s fisheries sector.
According to Jake Lu, incoming president of Socsksargen Federation of Fishing & Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII), among the notable resolutions of the Tuna Congress is the need to create the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) to look after the country’s rich marine produce.
He said that the DFAR will be a significant development for the fisheries sector, in protecting Philippine waters and marine resources, and will boost the government’s food security program.
The resolution noted that most neighboring countries in Southeast Asia have a government line agency to oversee its fisheries sector.
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