PH eyes increased tuna trade with Indonesia

MANILA  —The Philippines may soon get more tuna from Indonesia after the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority-Davao Fish Port Complex (PFDA-DFPC) explored a potential partnership with the neighboring country for transshipment and trade.

PFDA, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, on Monday said officials of the regional fish port met with Harya Kakerasana Sidharta, officer-in-charge of the Indonesia consulate general, and Novita Supit, consul for economic affairs, to discuss future collaborations.

“They talked about the opportunity for Indonesian fish workers to transship, trade and process their abundant tuna catch,” the agency said.

Indonesia is one of the top tuna producers in the world. In 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization said the country produced 14.6 million metric tons (MT).

The PFDA also said they had discussed the possibility of allowing Indonesians based in nearby Talaud Islands Regency to “conduct their operations” in the Davao port.

READ: Fish port opens in Davao Oriental’s ‘tuna highway’

Talaud Islands Regency is known to be a marine sanctuary “for fresh tuna activities and other similar species,” the PFDA said. It is located approximately 330 kilometers from Davao City.

Data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) showed that in 2021, the Philippines imported 4,668 MT of tuna from Indonesia. This is equivalent to 2.27 percent of the total 205,449 MT of tuna imported that year.
Papua New Guinea was the Philippines’ largest source of imported tuna, contributing 97,206 MT.

Davao City produced at least 18.14 MT of tuna in 2022, down from 57.11 MT in 2021, amid higher production costs.