The Philippines and the Republic of Korea conducted the first joint fisheries committee meeting online on 1-October-2021 to pursue an active partnership between the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) in the field of fisheries and seafood trade.
Chaired and co-chaired by MOF-International Cooperation Bureau Director General Dong-sik Woo and DA Undersecretary for Agro-Industrialization and for Fisheries Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, the committee discussed new official development assistance and technical cooperation projects that will strengthen the international cooperation of Filipino and Korean experts for the development of a platform and framework to engage in technical consultation and discussion.
The joint fisheries committee meeting is a result of the memorandum of understanding on fisheries cooperation signed by the two countries during the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in 2019.
Some of the cooperation projects tackled during the meeting include technology transfer and innovation, strengthening the development of capture fisheries and aquaculture, post-harvest, product value adding, trade and coastal and marine fishery management, and facilitation of exchanges of experiences, information, technologies and expertise between the two countries.
Personnel from the DA, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and National Fisheries Research and Development Institute will be trained and equipped with Korean technology and expertise through exchange visits, workshops and training, and collaborative research as part of the bilateral cooperation.
The two countries also discussed each country’s best practices and fisheries and aquaculture policies. Korean delegates presented South Korea’s 2nd Master Plan of Fisheries and Fishing Community Development for 2021-2025 while the Philippines’ BFAR talked about new developments, policies, and challenges encountered by the country’s fisheries sector.
To further strengthen the partnership for the promotion of fisheries trade and business investments, the two countries are looking forward to the next fisheries committee meeting with the Philippines expressing intent to host by mid-2022 in Manila.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/BFAR4A