Agri dep’t calls for more support for tuna industry

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday that the tuna industry needs more support in the wake of difficulties in obtaining sustainability certifications to export their products.

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said on Wednesday that the tuna industry faces threats from “climate change, global sustainability mandates, labor issues, and the persistent threat of IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing.”

He called for science-based management of tuna stocks and stronger support for the industry.

A recent Supreme Court ruling allowing commercial fishing operations to ply municipal waters has cast doubt on sustainability claims for Philippine tuna, the Philippine Association of Tuna Processors, Inc., has said.

Sustainability certificates enable the Philippines to access crucial export markets that require traceability and sustainability of fish resources, it noted.

Philippine tuna production rose to 494,047.02 MT in 2024 from 409,797.17 MT in 2023, the DA has reported.

Tuna exports rose 31% to $514.47 million in 2024, it added — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza