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Fishing is a PhP50 billion industry
in the Philippines, contributing about 4% of the country's
GNP. With an annual production volume of 2.4 million metric
tons of fish, it directly provides livelihood and employment
to over one million Filipinos. Tuna is among the 200 or
so species of fish found in the country that have high commercial
value. The Philippines ranks 7th among the top tuna producing
countries in the world, both in terms of fresh/frozen tuna
and canned tuna. |
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Despite this formidable ranking, the Philippines
position in the international tuna industry leaves much
room for improvement. The industry continues to be vulnerable
to price fluctuations in the world market, stiff competition
from existing and emerging tun producing country, trade
discrimination in some importing countries, limited access
to fishing grounds, increasing costs, and operational inefficiencies
within the industry. Of late, however, these has been a
genuine recognition among the tuna industry players and
development partners of the need to urgently address the
obstacles to industry's growth and the industry is now taking
firm steps to do just that.
With the modest success of the 1st tuna
Conference in General Santos City in September 1999 and
a series of regional workshops and industry forums earlier
this year, it has been confirmed that it is, indeed, possible
to bring the multisectoral stakeholder groups together and
talk about their common concern-how to strengthen the Philippine
tuna industry and become more globally competitive. |
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