Mindoro, the Philippines – Groups from across the Mindoro fishery supply chain took part in a workshop hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines last June 17, 2022.
The workshop, held in Occidental Mindoro, was the first in a number of meetings scheduled for the province. Referred to as a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) Dialogue Platform, the workshop series is an opportunity for players across the yellowfin tuna supply chain to come together to discuss strategies for safeguarding local fisheries.
A similar workshop was held in Bicol this April. WWF-Philippines’ Sustainable Tuna Partnership 2 (STP 2) team is setting up similar dialogue platforms in order to develop inclusive ways to protect yellowfin tuna.
“What we want to have happen at this platform is to bring forward our issues. Over the next few years we’ll work to address these issues together. We won’t solve all these issues in one time, but it’s important that we put them out in the open,” said STP 2 Technical Operation Manager Raisa Pandan.
Occidental Mindoro is an emerging hotspot for yellowfin tuna. A local industry has sprung up around the torpedo-shaped fish, attracting small- and large-scale fishers alike.
The Mindoro local tuna management plan was passed in 2019 as part of efforts to sustainably manage the regions’ yellowfin population. Through the MSP Dialogue Platform, WWF-Philippines is exploring strategies to further protect yellowfin fisheries while taking into account the concerns of stakeholders.
“This meeting is the start of a coordinative and collaborative effort between the stakeholders of our tuna industry,” shared Elmer Velacruz, Agriculturalist II from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturalist (OPA) of Occidental Mindoro.
The OPA of Occidental Mindoro is among the local government offices involved in the MSP Dialogue Platform. The office oversaw the development of the Mindoro local tuna management plan.
“We need to make sure our partners in Mindoro go through this process of dialogue and cooperation together. It is only through inclusivity and with the participation of all stakeholders that we can build sustainable fisheries,” said STP 2 Project Manager Joann Binondo.
Good dialogue is key to building sustainable fisheries. STP 2’s MSP Dialogue Platforms are creating spaces for stakeholders to discuss their issues as they pursue solutions to safeguard their shared tuna resources.
