Fishing threat under Jpepa regime belied

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) won’t "give access" to Japanese vessels in Philippine fishing grounds, a senior fisheries official said here in an attempt to assuage concerns that the landmark deal would open Philippine waters — already over fished — to Japan’s fishing fleet. Malcolm I. Sarmiento, Jr., national director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), allayed such fears raised by a fisher folk group, stressing that "there’s nothing in the Jpepa that confers fishing rights on Japanese vessels [in our waters]." Mr. Sarmiento made the statement to reporters covering the 10th National Tuna Congress here last Sept. 2-3. Late last week, Senate majority leader Francis N. Pangilinan pushed for the renegotiation of the bilateral trade deal that legislators earlier targeted for ratification by next month. Kilusang Mangingisda, a coalition of 14 fishers federations in the country, said the deal will lead to Japanese deep-sea fishing fleets operating in the country’s major fishing grounds and spell "the doom of the local fisheries industry." Mr. Sarmiento denied this, noting "the agreement only allows Japanese vessels to bring goods coming from the factories in Japan." However, the fisheries’ official said that if Japanese fishing firms want to catch in Philippine waters, they will have to seek government clearance and abide with the country’s laws. Kilusang Mangingisda chairman Pablo Rosales had said in an earlier statement that joint deep-sea fishing between Japanese corporations and the Philippine government is allowed under Annex 7, p. 73 of Jpepa, albeit with a 40% limit on Japanese equity. In scientific terms, he noted that deep sea starts where the sunlight starts to fade, around 200 meters below the surface of the sea. "If the same is meant by ’deep-sea’ fishing under Jpepa, it will have a huge impact on the use of the country’s marine waters since many seas within Philippine territory have depths of 200 meters to more than 1,000 meters," he explained. The Kilusang Mangingisda added many major fishing grounds have depths of 1,000 meters like Sulu Sea, Moro Gulf, Davao Gulf, Bohol Sea, parts of Sibuyan Sea, parts of Visayan-Camotes Seas, the Philippine Trench on the Pacific side and parts of South China Sea that fall within the country’s exclusive economic zone. He said that other major fishing grounds like Tablas Strait, Mindoro Strait and parts of Sibuyan Sea have depths of 200 meters. Mr. Rosales said that Japanese fishing fleets will have access to species like yellowfin tuna (tambakol), skipjack tuna (gulyasan), frigate tuna (tulingan), Spanish mackerel (tanigue), roundscad (galunggong), deep-sea sharks and invertebrates. Marfenio Y. Tan, chairman of the Soccsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., said the Jpepa "does not necessarily give Japanese fishing vessels rights to fish in Philippine waters." But on the marketing side, Mr. Tan added the bilateral trade deal should be beneficial to the tuna industry, stressing that Japan is one of its major buyers. Once the Jpepa takes effect, tariffs on 95% of Philippine exports to Japan will be eliminated, while duties on industrial goods such as electronics and cars will be phased out over a 10-year period. Japan is a traditional major market for the local tuna industry’s sashimi-grade tuna products. — Romer S. Sarmiento, BusinessWorld