The West and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) approved the lifting of the purse seine fishing ban in pockets 1 and 2 of the Pacific Ocean until February 2013. Still, WCPFC does not think this will make a big difference to the Philippines.
“The Philippines can fish in high sea pocket 1 only and any reporting in the press otherwise is wrong,” said Glenn Hurry, executive director of the WCPFC, Asian Correspondent reports.
However, no Philippine fishing firm has thus far sent off its vessels to pockets 1 and 2 of the Pacific Ocean pending the publication of the fisheries administrative order on the matter, which should be finished within the month, said Ambutong K Pautong, BFAR Region 12 acting director, Business World reports.
The country produces over 2 million tonnes of tuna per year. In 2011, frozen tuna landings dropped by about 19 per cent in General Santos City to about 110,000 tonnes in 2011 from roughly 150,000 tonnes in 2010 and earlier.
Secretary Luwalhati R Antonino, chairwoman of the Mindanao Development Authority, said that while the country has been granted access, "efforts must also be exerted to prevent abuse."
Last week, BFAR and tuna industry players held a meeting to discuss how Philippine fishing companies should benefit from the newly granted limited fishing access to the Pacific.
"Thirty-six Philippine fishing vessels have now been given limited access to the tuna fishing ground -- but Philippine vessel deployment will not take place until after September, as the WCPFC will close that part of the Pacific Ocean for three months starting in July as part of a yearly conservation measure, Pautong noted.
He had said that canneries in the city have been producing less due to lower catches supposedly attributed to the two-year fishing ban.
Pautong said the proposed guidelines, which will be set in consultation with the private sector-led Tuna Council of the Philippines, include assigning a specific catching ground to the fishing companies, which have agreed to impose high penalties on violators.
"We must live up to the expectations of WCPFC. We must satisfactorily comply with the provisions of the Conservation and Management Measure if we want to continue fishing in pockets 1 and 2 beyond 2013," said Asis G Perez, BFAR national director.
Tuna remains one of Mindanao’s top exports, with a combined value of USD 311 million in 2010.
The WCPFC banned commercial fishing in pockets 1 and 2 of the high seas in 2008 to mitigate overfishing of bigeye and yellowfin tuna. The ban took effect in 2010
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
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