BFAR Regional Director Juan Albaladejo said on Wednesday they have
been talking with Japanese experts for the proposed yellow fin tuna cages in
Eastern and Northern Samar provinces.
Fish cages developed in Japan will be turned over to local
government units and will be maintained by poor fisher folks. The project is in
partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency and giant firm Feedmix
Specialist Inc.
“Tuna juveniles will be gathered from spawning grounds in
municipal waters for farming. We will provide all necessary assistance to
fisher folks, including feeds, to raise the tuna inside cages,” Albaladejo told
the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The ocean enclosure has a diameter of 50 meters. About 1,000
juvenile fishes will be raised for six months to one year before harvest.
Commonly, tuna fishing in Samar areas is in small scale, with
locals fishing in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean using small motorboats
only and lines waiting for tunas to bite. Usually, fishermen always run out of
supplies of food, water, and ice.
The region’s Pacific Ocean, particularly off the coast of Eastern
and Northern Samar, is known for tuna fishing with about 600 tons every year,
lower than the 1,000 tons quota set by the Western and Central Pacific
Fisheries Commission.
“Since tuna fishes are in high seas, they have to spend a lot for fuel to catch the yellow fin tuna,” Albaladejo added.
“Since tuna fishes are in high seas, they have to spend a lot for fuel to catch the yellow fin tuna,” Albaladejo added.
Over the past years, Filipino commercial fishermen gained access
to the High Seas Pocket 1, where big tunas are found.
The High Seas Pocket 1 is the area bounded by the exclusive
economic zones of the Federated States of Micronesia to the north and east, the
Republic of Palau to the west, and the Republic of Indonesia and the
Independent State of Papua New Guinea to the south. (SQM/PNA)
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