FI:TCP/PHI/4554 TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND NATIONAL FISHERIES WORKSHOP ON POLICY PLANNING AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT THE PHILIPPINES Terminal Statement the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 1998 |
1.2 Outline of official arrangements
2.1 Missions undertaken during the project
2.3 Second National Fisheries Workshop on Policy Planning and Industry Development
Appendix DOCUMENTS PRODUCED DURING THE PROJECT
The first National Workshop on Fisheries Policy and Planning sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and FAO was conducted in Baguio City, the Philippines, in March 1987. The workshop highlighted the problems of Philippine fisheries, discussed the most critical policy issues confronted by the sector and, for the first time in the country's history, generated national censuses to resolve such issues through participatory development planning exercises. The workshop was attended by representatives from a wide range of sectors, including government institutions and agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the association of small-scale fishermen, commercial fishing groups, fishing boat owners, suppliers of fishing gear and equipment, members of academia, donor countries and bilateral/multilateral funding agencies.
The active participation of the latter enabled them to understand the pressing policy issues confronting Philippine fisheries and to assess the Government's, NGOs' and private sector's resolve and commitment to act. This resulted in generating close to $US 200 000 000 of development assistance for the fisheries sector of the country.
The policies, strategies and action programmes recommended by the workshop established the framework for the formulation of the Fishery Sector Development Plan (FSDP) prepared under a technical assistance grant from the Asian Development Bank (AsDB). Upon completion of the FSDP, a Fishery Sector Programme (FSP) was prepared for implementation; this was also made possible through a fisheries sector programme loan from the AsDB.
As a result of the impressive gains achieved under Phase I of the FSP, the AsDB was in the process of granting a second fisheries sector programme loan to the Government of the Philippines. Since the environment for fisheries management and development in the Philippines had changed over the last decade owing to new situations and policy emerging at global, regional and national level, the Government considered it opportune to update the fisheries development planning exercise conducted in 1987 and requested assistance from FAO in this connection.
This assistance was approved by FAO on 24 February 1995 and a sum of $US 167 000 was made available. The Department of Agriculture of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, was designated the government counterpart agency responsible for project execution. The project was immediately declared operational and it came to an end in February 1996.
The objective of the project was to assist the Government to prepare and conduct the second National Fisheries Workshop on Policy Planning and Industry Development.
Two open forums were organized during the project - a Sectoral Consultation and the workshop itself - to discuss issues, problems, strategies and the action needed. The Sectoral Consultation was a preparatory meeting to determine the outline of sub-sectoral strategic plans, implementation programmes of strategic plans, potentials and prospects for fisheries development to the year 2010 and background papers for various sub-sectors.
At the National Workshop, strategic plans, implementation programmes of strategic plans and potentials and prospects for fisheries development to the year 2010 were discussed and endorsed. In addition, Cavite Resolutions on the six strategic plans (Resolution No. 1) and on the implementation of the strategic plans and priority project ideas (Resolution No. 2) were adopted by the workshop.
A fisheries management consultant undertook two missions to the country: from 24 October to 17 December 1995 to carry out field surveys on fisheries management implementation and prepare a strategic plan on fisheries management for presentation at the Sectoral Consultation; and from 30 January to 10 February 1996 to revise the first draft of the strategic plan and prepare the implementation programme of the strategic plan on fisheries management, for presentation at the workshop.
A consultant on fisheries economics visited the country from 15 January to 10 February 1996 to carry out in-depth field studies in order to prepare a position paper for presentation at the workshop.
A team of national consultants in aquaculture and inland fisheries, post-harvest activities and offshore fisheries development were recruited for four months each and FAO officers in planning, community development, international trade, extension and fishery credit provided technical support for the preparation and conduct of the Sectoral Consultation and the National Workshop.
The Sectoral Consultation, which was a preparatory meeting for the National Workshop, was held in Quezon City on 22 and 23 November 1996. It was attended by some 120 participants from all sectors of the fishing industry. Two main documents - Review and Strategies established by the 1987 National Workshop on Fishery Policy and Planning and Potentials and Prospects for Fisheries Development in the Philippines to the year 2010 - were discussed and six sub-sectoral strategic plans - legal and institutional, aquaculture/inland fisheries, marine fishery resources management, post-harvest marketing and infrastructure, credit and support services, and community development and management - were reviewed. These documents were revised incorporating comments from the Consultation, which also suggested that implementation programmes for the sub-sectoral strategic plans be prepared and presented at the workshop and that these implementation programmes include financial implications and the timeframe for implementing the strategic plans. Priority project ideas for each sub-sector were also to be formulated.
The workshop was held in Cavite from 6 to 9 February 1996 and was attended by some 250 participants. The AsDB sent a large delegation and the European Union sent its representatives. During the workshop, strategic plans were formulated for the six priority areas mentioned above and detailed implementation programmes were prepared, discussed and finalized for each strategic plan. The major items of implementation programmes included objectives, specific activities, officers responsible/agencies concerned, data/information requirements, training needs, budget requirements and timeframe. Each sub-sector put forward a number of priority project ideas for possible consideration by AsDB and other funding agencies. The significance of the workshop may be summarized as follows:
The strategic plans and implementation programmes are complementary to the current (1993-98) Medium-term Fishery Management and Development Programme (MTFMDP)l a large part of which can be easily incorporated into it. The elements which cannot be integrated into the current phase of the MTFMDP owing to budgetary and administrative reasons will be taken into account in 1998 when the next MTFMDP is formulated.
The workshop was very timely, because the ongoing Fishery Sector Programme operated since 1990 was to terminate towards the end of 1996. The AsDB technical assistance programme of $US 600 000 approved recently will formulate a project proposal for the second phase of the FSP. The workshop made a valuable contribution to the AsDB team.
The workshop provided an opportunity for discussing the relevance of the Code in the Philippine context, particularly in respect of fish trade, fishery management and integrated coastal area management.
Strategic plans and implementation programmes were formulated by incorporating sustainability criteria involving all sectors, as participants ranged from local resource users to representatives from research institutes, universities, the private sector, cooperatives, women's groups, NGOs and all levels of the Government.
It is recommended that the Bureau of Fisheries be upgraded to the Fisheries Agency or Department of Fisheries in order to expand the scope and type of activities in relation to development, management, conservation and utilization of fisheries and aquatic resources. The establishment of a rational system of criminal and administrative sanctions and procedures would be a basis for effective law enforcement.
Strategic plans should be translated into sub-sectoral implementation programmes for implementation.
It is suggested that the Government seek internal and external funding for priority project ideas endorsed by the workshop.
Report and Proceedings of the National Workshop, consisting of the workshop report, two main documents, Review of strategies established by the 1987 National Workshop on Fishery Policy and Planning and Potentials and prospects for fisheries development in the Philippines to the year 2010, six strategic plans, five in-depth studies, 30 basic documents.