April 27 2009 (FoodBizDaily) - The Tuna Canners Association of the Philippines (TCAP) informed that it is planning to request the European Commission to put off a certification program for fishery products that come into the European Union (EU) with effect from January 1, 2010.During an interview, Francisco J. Buencamino, the TCAP executive director, pointed out that the export of their fishery products to the European Union is bound to become more costly for tuna canners with the coming into effect of the scheme against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. He said the scheme would bring about an increase in the cost of export by approximately 15 percent. He added that the local tuna canners had already had to increase their tuna imports by 30 percent and that this new rule would only add to their hardships. He said the steep rise in the prices of the locally available tuna had driven the canners to turn to importation, and also because “traceability is a concern.” Buencamino further said that the TCAP would be putting forward a formal request to the European Union through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Trade and Industry.
The request had yet to reach the BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento, but he said he would be fully supporting it. “If they say they will have problems with the timeframe, I’ll endorse their call for a delay in the implementation of the EU regulation,” said Sarmiento.
The local Philippines canned tuna has the European Union as one of its main export destinations. In the year 2008, a total volume of tuna products worth $388 million was imported by the EU from the Philippines.
Last year, the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council came out with a rule that decrees that a statement from the processor that gives out information on the link between the processed fishery products and the fish used as raw materials must accompany all the exports of canned tuna. Also, catch certificates with a validation from the flag state of the fishing vessel that caught the fish must be kept with the raw material. In addition, the approval number of the processing plant as well as the number of health certificates will have to be mentioned on the statement; this is meant to serve as a guarantee of the link between the finished products and the raw materials. The rule by the European Union is part of the Union’s efforts to put an end to the entry into the EU of fish products from illegally caught fish.