Spearheaded
by the SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII),
in partnership with USAID Oceans and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,
the Inception Workshop was held in the morning of November 6, 2017 at the East
Asia Royale Hotel. The said event was set to create a shared knowledge and
awareness about the project that will engage the tuna stakeholders in the
development and pilot testing of the e-CDT System in General Santos City, and
help them fully grasp and take ownership of the project’s goals and objectives.
The development of this system is in accordance with the Government’s
commitment in combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and
seafood fraud, promote sustainable fisheries, and conserve marine biodiversity.
It is also designed to encourage the collection and analysis of ecological and
economic data related to seafood products throughout the seafood supply chain,
enabling traceability from point of catch to import and end-retail. The
Inception Workshop is also a platform to lay down the commitments of the
stakeholders and all the partners involved, for the success of the project.
Inception Workshop
The
Inception Workshop was attended by the BFAR Central Office, USAID Oceans, and
the SFFAII team. Ms. Rosanna Bernadette Contreras, the Executive Director of
SFFAII, briefly discussed about the Rationale of the Project. Here, she
deliberately explained about the mission of the project, and why it is
essential for the industry – that due to the tenacity of Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, the conservation of marine biodicversity and
sustainability of fisheries is compromised. In line with this, as part of
the Government’s initiative to combat
IUU, a fully electronic catch documentation and traceability system was being
developed.
Mr.
Peter Cadapan, a representative from BFAR, explained the benefits of this
project for the industry. He pointed out that the e-CDTS will provide a
platform for improved traceability of fishery products between the producers,
processors and consumers. As a result, it will improve transparency and public
accountability. He also mentioned that by utilizing an electronic system for
catch documentation and traceability of fishery products, it will provide a
faster delivery of services of fish inspectors, fisheries officers, and catch
certification officers to BFAR clients. The electronic system will also help
improve the monitoring of fish catch through efficient and cost-effective
record management.
Ms.
Shalimar Abdurahman, the Project Officer from SFFAII, discussed about the
Industry’s commitment to the project. She pointed out that the companies that
will signify their participation for the project (First Movers) will be provided with all the necessary support that they
are going to need, such as trainings and other capacity building activities for
the implementation of the e-CDT System. However, they would also have to comply
the necessary requirements, such as fishing vessels and dedicated employees
that will participate in System Development Workshops, Focused Group
Discussions, quarterly meetings, and multi-stakeholder meetings, as part of
their commitment. By far, here are the list of companies that conveyed their
commitment for the project:
Handline Group: Jebo Fishing with 2
fishing vessels, Ronnie Delos Santos Handline Operator with 1 fishing vessel,
and Tuna Explorer’s Inc. with 5 fishing vessels.
Fresh Frozen Companies:
PhilCinMic Industrial Corp, Mommy Gina Tuna Resources, Sta. Cruz Seafood Inc.
Rell and Renn Seafood Sphere Inc.
Purse Seine: Marchael Sea Ventures
with 2 fishing vessels, Dex Sea Trading with 1 fishing vessel, and RD Fishing.
Cannery: General Tuna Canning Corp., Celebes
Canning Corp.
Conclusion
The
country’s fishing industry has been known for its quality seafood products and
world-class industry standards. But due to the persistence of Illegal,
Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, it is the Government’s responsibility
to maintain its integrity as a main exporter of seafood products, hence, the
development of Electronic Catch Documentation and Traceability System. However,
the e-CDTS, aside from being a form of compliance measure, can also be a
gateway to making processes much more streamlined, efficient, and a bit more
competitive.
