The municipality of Dingalan in Aurora Province may soon emerge as the country’s next tuna capital after General Santos City as the Department of Agriculture intends to put up a fish port complex there.
In a statement, the agency said it would like to take advantage of Dingalan’s strategic location since on its eastern side is the Philippine Rise —a 13-million-hectare underwater ridge found to have rich biodiversity and abundant natural resources that offer a safe haven for several fish variants to spawn.
The Philippine Rise’s numerous seamounts serve as a nursery zone for oceanic tuna species, including the most expensive tuna variety in the world, the bluefin tuna.
Data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources showed that the Philippine Rise has a high relative abundance of tuna varieties at an average of 7.9 tails per 1,000 hooks—the highest yield anywhere in the country—from 2000 to 2016. This means a fisherman has the probability of capturing almost eight tunas per 1,000 hooks.
This pales in comparison with Mindanao’s catch rates in Celebes Sea where General Santos is situated, at 0.56 tail per 1,000 hooks.
While the Philippine Rise has been exclusive to research activities before, about 3,000 hectares of it have been designated in 2017 as a special fisheries management area and “protected food supply exclusive zone” where fishermen in Dingalan and other municipalities are now allowed to fish for food. INQ