The sector consists of 2,500 outrigger boats, employs over 40,000 fishermen, and lands over 30,000 MT of high-value tuna each year. The TUNA handline fishing sector posts annual revenues of around P4.5 billion, with the frozen sashimi processing sector accounting for more than 50 % of this figure or P2.5 billion in total export earnings.
Handline fishing uses the traditional hook and line method and is considered one of the best means of catching large tuna and marlin. The method is also eco-friendly as handline fishermen catch only mature fish and so is prudent in terms of fish resource management.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law Republic Act 9379 or “An Act Defining Handline Fishing, Providing Effective Regulations Therefore and for Other Purposes,” which frees the handline sector from restrictive government policies and sets more practical manning and registration requirements for hand-line operators and fisherfolk.
RA 9379 defines commercial handline fishing as “a traditional, passive fishing method which utilizes a single line and an attached hook.” A commercial tuna handline fishing vessel, on the other hand, is defined as “a commercial fishing vessel that exclusively utilizes the commercial hand-line fishing method.”
Under the new law, a tuna handline boat master need not be a licensed boat captain, and will be issued a license by MARINA once he or she undergoes theoretical and practical training. Further, boat engine officers are not required to have college graduate diplomas or to be licensed as boat engineers if they completed the training required by MARINA.
Moreover, RA 9379 clearly specifies the roles of Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The registration, inspection, manning and other documentation requirements of tuna handline fishing boats as “flag” boats will be done by MARINA, while the licensing and related documentation of these vessels as fishing boats will fall under the mandate of BFAR.
Handline fishing is a common method of catching tuna in the Philippines which is a significant tuna producer in the world. It is considered to be more environmentally sustainable than other fishing methods. The Philippine tuna industry functions significantly in the international trade principally for the yellowfin and bigeye tuna species (ACIAR, 2011). In 2014, tuna led fish export with 117,909 tonnes valued at USD 443,090 or PhP 19,597,882 with commodities categorized into preserved and fresh. Processed tuna reached 93,000 tonnes amounting to almost USD 310 million or PhP 13.7 billion with USA, Canada and Japan as the top destinations. Meanwhile, fresh/chilled/frozen tuna export reached 24,600 tonnes valued at USD 133 or PhP 5.9 billion, the majority delivered to Japan, USA and Indonesia (BFAR, 2014). The bulk of export-quality tuna is landed in General Santos City (GenSan) in the General Santos Fish Port Complex (GSFPC). Inherently, the almost identical trends for tuna at the regional and national levels denote that Region 12, where GenSan is situated, leads the yellowfin and bigeye production in the country. However, handliners who facilitate landings in GSFPC are not limited to those who reside in GenSan but to other provinces as well. Fishing grounds of these handliners also include several locations that are extremely distant from GenSan.
Both commercial and municipal tuna capture fisheries have a preference for handline fishing because of its sustainability (Gaia Discovery, 2011). The availability and affordability of materials and the simplicity of handline construction encourages operators to opt for hook and line. Yellowfin tuna is the most caught tuna species using handline, comprising 72–90 % of the total tuna caught. Handline fishing supports the livelihood of crews of approximately 3,000 vessels. This placed the Philippines on the second spot, after Indonesia, of producers using handline fishing. Despite the handline technique’s good performance, GenSan’s handline fisheries faces challenges primarily due to catch reduction. Aside from that, threats related to sustainability have also emerged due to catching of juveniles and declining stock biomass (World Wildlife Fund, 2013).
