(IntraFish) The spiraling cost of fuel and the purse seine fishing ban in two major pockets of the Pacific Ocean have cut down frozen tuna landings at the General Santos fish port complex last year, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) in The Philippines.
In the BAS 2011 fisheries situationer report released on Tuesday, tuna unloading at General Santos, declined by 47,049 metric tons or about 18 percent from 2010.
In 2010, the unloaded volume at the fish port complex, which is managed by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authorit was pegged at 144,812.05 metric tons. Last year, it went down to 117,315.29 metric tons.
The other factors cited for the decline in tuna unloading, besides fuel price hikes, were dry- docking of some commercial vessels for repair or maintenance and lesser fishing expeditions due to weather disturbances. Many major tuna processing and canning companies such as, Alliance Select Foods and General Tuna, are located in General Santos.
With the WCPFC ban on purse-seine fishing in two pockets of the high seas in the western and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean starting January 1, 2010, foreign fishing vessels have dominated the unloading of frozen tuna in this city for the needs of the canneries.
Local tuna fishing companies have complained that they could not afford the additional costs in operating in farther fishing grounds.