Participants on the Philippines-US Peer Exchange Activity on firsheries and maritime conservation called on Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin at the Philippine Consulate General on 29 June 2017. Executive Director Donnie Juan of the Filipino Community Center was also present during the call. The Philippine delegation was headed by Undersecretary Eduardo S. Gongon of the Department of Agriculture (DA)- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The bilateral activity, entitled “Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management and Conservation: A Partnership in Governance, Management, Science and Enforcement” was held in Honolulu, Hawaii from 26 to 30 June 2017, with the goal of fostering greater ties between Philippine and US agencies in the Pacific working on fisheries and maritime conservation issues.
The week-long activity was participated in by officials from the following agencies: from the Philippines - the DA-BFAR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau, and from the US – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Through this activity, NOAA, in partnership with the USAID seeks to to build capacity and good governance in countries in Asia and the Pacific, towards the improvement of the lives of people, health of oceans and coasts, and generally enhance the resilience of society, economies, and the environment in this globally significant region.
During the call, Consul General Jamoralin discussed with the participants the plight of Filipino fishermen in Honolulu ports, as well as actions the Consulate had taken in the past to provide assistance to the fishermen such as regular port visits in coordination with Filipino religious organizations and ship owners associations, and making representations with Hawaii officials to improve the conditions of Filipino crew at ports. (END).
