SFFAII
ROLLS OUT PROJECT WITH THE USAID OCEANS
Engaging the Tuna Industry in the
Implementation of Catch Documentation and Traceability System in General Santos
City, Philippines Project
Recognizing
the need for a leverage of its implementation through an organization that has
a strong presence and involvement in the fishing sector of this region,
SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII) took
upon itself to partner with USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnership (USAID
OCEANS) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to implement a
project that will engage the tuna stakeholders in the development and pilot
testing of the Electronic Catch Documentation (eCDT) System in General Santos
City.
THE
PROJECT
The USAID Oceans, in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Fisheries
Development Center and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, has
chosen the General Santos Fishing Port Complex and areas around the Sarangani
Bay Protected Seascape as a project ‘Learning Site.’
Dubbed
as “Engaging
the Tuna Industry in the Implementation of Catch Documentation and Traceability
System in General Santos City, Philippines Project,” this project with the USAID OCEANS runs
for two years and aims to develop, demonstrate and expand a catch documentation and
traceability (CDT) system using a market based approach that promotes
sustainable fisheries. It builds on the foundation of the ASEAN Catch
Documentation Scheme and the Philippines’ existing CDT protocols.
As presented by theUSAID Oceans Chef of Party, Mr Geronimo Silvestre, eCTD in a nutshell is
capturing critical data at every step of a seafood’s journey- from bait to
plate. Visible internal gains for the participating organizations is the
establishment of an efficient digital system that. In the bigger picture, it
improves fisheries management and enhances accountability, credibility and
traceability.
USAID Oceans
believes that “the eCDT system will encourage the collection and analysis of
ecological and economic data related to seafood products throughout the supply
chain, such that they are traceable from poit-of-harvest to seafood importer
retail. The eCDT system can provide an important opportunity to support
national fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MSC), as CDT remains
one of the most valuable and comprehensive methods for collecting fisheries
statistics at a reasonable cost.”
The Project is
complemented by other components, such as regional coordination and capacity
building of regional stakeholders to combat IUU fishing, promote sustainable
fisheries and conserve biodiversity; public and private sector engagement and
partnership development to ensure uptake and sustainability of the CDT system;
and integration of social welfare issues (gender and labor) into all aspects of
program design.
For
eCDT demonstration in General Santos City, SFFAII will be engaging various
companies into handline fishing, purse seine/ring net fishing, fresh frozen
processing, and cannery. It will involve both vertically-integrated and
non-vertically integrated companies to ensure flexibility and adaptability to
different scenarios. Necessary workshops and trainings will be provided to the
participants in its development stage. This includes capacity building of women
along the fisheries value chains particularly in the eCDTS implementation
system. Multi-stakeholder meetings will be conducted to raise awareness on the
progress f the project and build interest of potential roll-outs of lessons
learned, actual benefits and best practices.
ABOUT THE USAID OCEANS
USAID Oceans is one of many U.S. initiatives
supporting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its 10 member
states. The United States partners with ASEAN to support economic integration,
expand maritime cooperation, cultivate emerging leaders, promote opportunity
for women, and address transnational challenges. Through USAID’s cooperation
with ASEAN, the United States helps address the root causes of poverty and
instability, and helps lay the foundation for prosperity and security. The United
States and ASEAN celebrate 40 years of partnership in 2017, marking a deepened
collaboration under the U.S.-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.
The USAID Oceans supports the development of a transparent
and financially sustainable electronic Catch Documentation and Traceability
(eCDT) system to help ensure that fisheries resources from Southeast Asia are
legally caught and properly labelled.
