The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Canned Sardines Association of the Philippines (CSAP) signed Monday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to ensure the continuous and sufficient supply of raw materials for sardines canneries in the country.
The agreement stemmed from recommendations from various stakeholders of the country’s sardines industry to address not only immediate but long-term concerns of the canneries said BFAR Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Demosthenes Escoto.
“Aside from sustaining, and ultimately increasing, the supply of sardines for canneries, the MOA intends to capacitate municipal fisherfolk on proper fish handling, food safety standards, and processing technologies,” he said.
The MOA will ensure that CSAP will engage selected registered municipal fisherfolk associations to sustain the supply of raw materials for canning, especially during the implementation of annual closed fishing seasons.
Under the agreement, BFAR, as the primary government agency mandated to manage the country’s fisheries and aquatic resources, shall provide post-harvest support and necessary equipment in identified landing sites wherein the consolidation of raw materials will take place.
The BFAR said it will ensure that fishermen and fisherfolk groups will comply with the government’s food safety and traceability requirements and facilitate transportation or logistics support.
Over the course of the partnership, CSAP will ensure that its members observe fair trade in directly negotiating with selected municipal fisherfolk associations duly registered and recognized by BFAR.
In addition, CSAP shall ensure that its members strictly comply with the terms and conditions of the purchase order.
“We are ensuring the employment of hundreds, if not thousands, of factory workers and adjacent industries when the canneries can continue to operate during the 3-month fishing ban. Productivity during the three-month fishing ban means more employment, job security, and food on the table for many families,” CSAP president Benjamin Sy, said.
In the next 3 months starting November 31, 2020, BFAR will enforce the closed season for sardines fishing, restricting commercial fishers from harvesting sardines to allow the specie to repopulate as part of sustainable fish management.
The MOA with municipal fishermen is expected to prevent a supply shortage of “tamban” or sardines due to the upcoming closed season.
BFAR has also committed to provide assistance in the implementation and conduct of the research program “Attaining Sustainability in the Fisheries for Sardines and Other Small Pelagic Fish Off the Zamboanga Peninsula”.
The research is aimed at addressing the gaps in information needed to strengthen the management of sardines and associated small pelagic stocks off the Zamboanga Peninsula in order to ensure long term sustainability of the small pelagics fishing industry.
The fishery agency has partnered with the BFAR Regional Office IX, Southern Philippines (SOPHIL) Deep Sea Fishing Association, Inc. and selected members of the academe – the University of the Philippines Visayas, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and Jose Rizal Memorial State University.