Small-Scale Tuna Fishers Earn MSC Certification in Historical First

Wazzup Pilipinas

Small-scale fishers bring home a big win on the road towards sustainable fisheries.

A group of small-scale tuna fishers and tuna processor-exporters were certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) on October 19th, in a historical first for the Philippines.

The Philippine Tuna Handline Partnership (PTHP), a group of small-scale fishers and exporters, operates in the tuna fisheries of Mindoro Strait and Lagonoy Gulf. The PTHP was formally organized in 2019, and began the full MSC assessment process in March of 2020.

MSC certification is the latest development in a decades-long Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) being run with handline tuna fishers in Mindoro Strait and Lagonoy Gulf. The goal of the FIP is to improve the environmental sustainability of fisheries.

Three principles need to be met for a fishery to be considered sustainable according to the MSC standard. First, fishing activities should be conducted in a way that allows fish populations to remain productive and healthy; second, harm to habitats and endangered species should be limited to ensure the health of the ecosystem; and third, the fishery must be managed well, with laws and plans that enable the sustainability of the fishery.

The MSC is a useful global standard for measuring the environmental performance of wild-caught fisheries like those of Mindoro Strait and Lagonoy Gulf. The PTHP is the first group in the Philippines to receive MSC certification.

“This process has created unity among everyone - among exporters, fishers, local governments, everyone. We’ve realized that it’s not about us, but about what we do here in the fisheries, our livelihood, what we do with others and what we can achieve together,” shared Philippine Association of Tuna Processors, Inc. (PATPI) Chairman Sam C. Garcia.

PATPI represents the countries’ tuna processors. The PTHP consists of both small scale tuna fishers and tuna processors.

While the PTHP has been certified by the MSC, the group still has a number of conditions to close for them to keep their certification. Conditions are requirements outlined by the MSC, and serve as a good guide in helping fisheries work towards sustainability.

For the PTHP, closing these conditions and meeting the MSC standard is a step in the right direction for the future of their fisheries.

In particular, the tuna fisheries under the PTHP need stronger habitat management strategies, policies to identify and protect endangered species, and effective monitoring and enforcement of fishery laws. Also, while tuna management plans have been drafted, local government units need to recognize them and adopt them on a municipal level for them to be effective.

Measures also need to be adopted to protect tuna fisheries throughout the region. The Philippines belongs to the Western Central Pacific region, which the MSC has flagged for not having sufficient measures in place to protect local fisheries.

The MSC has warned that, should region-wide harvest control rules and strategies not be put in place by December 2022, tuna fisheries in the Western Central Pacific could lose their MSC certification.

“For around a decade of fisheries work we fishers have grown together in order to face whatever obstacle that has come our way. With the help of government agencies and the partners who have stood alongside us, practices that once harmed the environment and our local communities have left our fisheries little by little over the many years,” said IFARMC of Mindoro Strait Chairman Bernard A. Mayo, Sr., a fisher leader who has been with the program since its inception in 2011.

“This decade-long journey we have been on together with our partner fishers has shown to us what is possible in fisheries work. We still have a long way to go before we achieve environmental sustainability for our tuna fisheries, but MSC certification stands as a testament to how far we’ve come,” shared WWF-Philippines Program Manager Joann P. Binondo.


Cover photo: A fisherman hauls a yellowfin tuna to shore upon his shoulder. In a historical first, the Philippine Tuna Handline Partnership has become the first group of small-scale fishers in the Philippines to earn MSC certification. Photograph © Alo Lantin / WWF-Philippines

Representatives of the PTHP pose for a photo during the groups’ founding in March, 2020. The PTHP consists of both small scale fishers and tuna exporters. Photograph © Alo Lantin / WWF-Philippines

A fisher sits behind stacks of handline fishing reels. A handline can only hook a single fish at a time. Because of this, the use of handlines is less damaging to the environment than other, larger, more destructive fishing gear. Photograph © Alo Lantin / WWF-Philippines

The MSC certification of the PTHP is the latest milestone to a decade-long effort to safeguard the tuna fisheries of Mindoro and Lagonoy Gulf. The PTHP is committed to continuously improving their fisheries, to protect their stock of fish well into the future. Photograph © Alo Lantin / WWF-Philippines

The House Collective presents 'Encounters Across Cultures'

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A voyage across four cities through dance and architecture, The House Collective stages a series of cross-culture collaborative artistic performances at the brand’s properties in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Chengdu

The House Collective by Swire Hotels, a group of refined, highly individual hotels in Asia, has launched the 2021 edition of its biennial art programme, ‘Encounters Across Cultures,’ which celebrates the immeasurable creativity that comes through multicultural collaboration. The House Collective–comprising The Opposite House in Beijing, The Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu, and The Middle House in Shanghai–has invited artists from around the world to come together to create and explore the concept of space and movement. Following over a year of restrictions and lockdowns, the desire to collaborate and create across cultures in a meaningful way was an inspiring force behind this programme. The 2021 edition, which has been almost two years in the making, celebrates that sense of togetherness across borders that we have all been so deeply craving.

“Art and culture are actually a core part of who we are and what our Houses represent. We created Encounters Across Cultures because we think that an important element of creativity is access to points of view different from your own.” Clarissa Tam, art programme lead at The House Collective.

An encounter between dance and architecture - 2021 edition

The theme of this year’s programme will be realized through interactive video installations that– coupled with varying styles of dance movements–will complement the work of the esteemed architects behind each House. The installations will encourage viewers to appreciate the spaces

they spend time in and even find new ways to experience them. Following last year’s unexpected lockdowns–and the heightened impact that space and architectural design has had on our emotions–these installations will bring to life a timely sentiment that breaks the barriers of languages and borders.

“Through dance, this art programme explores how movements can be a captivating medium for perceiving, experiencing, and articulating architecture. It hopes to remind us to slow down and observe the details, to dive into our surroundings. To be present within the space. To look up."

– Patsy Lo, curator and producer of the art programme

Spread across the four Houses, the series of installations will tell the story of art across cultures in two chapters – the first between Shanghai and Beijing and the second between Hong Kongand Chengdu.

Hong Kong Serenity Meets Chengdu Contrasts – 23 September through 31 December

The second chapter will take place at The Upper House in Hong Kong and then move to The Temple House in Chengdu. This chapter will seek to highlight the distinctly different architectural styles of The Upper House (which epitomises André Fu’s sense of understated luxury) and The Temple House (which blends Qing dynasty structures with contemporary design) through the contrasting styles of ballet and hip hop. As a way to showcase the different energies and personalities between the two cities, Ballerina, Hennes Yuen from the Hong Kong Ballet and Hip-Hop dancer, Wan Siming from Chengdu will weave together their unique disciplines of dance.

Directed by Leo Liu with choreographed movements by Yuh Egami (of the Hong Kong Ballet) and Andrea Carrucciu (who played MacBeth in the show Sleep No More), Ballerina Yuen leads the audience through the serene sanctuary above the city that is The Upper House – while hip￾hop dancer Wan Siming channels the young creative energy of the city’s hip-hop culture through the contemporary design aesthetic of The Temple House. Through the video installation, the audience will experience the dancers embracing their differences and creating harmony with each other.

“Each of The House Collective’s four properties are highly individualized in location and culture, and this year’s Art Programme celebrates these distinctive and authentic cities while also showcasing the universal connection they share to cities around the world through art,” Said Dean Winters, Managing Director for Swire Hotels.

Installation Dates (2021)

○ The Middle House: 9 July through 29 August

○ The Opposite House: 10 September through 30 October

○ The Upper House: 23 September through 14 November

○ The Temple House: 6 November through 31 December

Dancer Li Xinmeng at The Middle House, Shanghai Dancer Yu Jingying at The Opposite House, Beijing

Reopening of Cinemas in NCR

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While the COVID-19 pandemic forced many establishments to reduce its accessibility, the cinemas were forced to close temporarily. Now, after over a year of being closed, we are happy to announce that - CINEMAS ARE BACK.

The Film Development Council of the Philippines supports this development as we have also been lobbying for the cinemas to reopen. Last August 4, 2021, FDCP officially presented to the IATF its proposal to reopen the cinemas, presenting industry data on the losses of the industry and best practices of how the rest of the world slowly resumed operations of their cinemas through health and safety protocols. The Agency proposed that the reopening could be anchored through the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino to premiere Filipino films. More recently, FDCP also had a meeting with Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez last October 8, 2021 where the Agency highlighted how much impact the closure of cinemas have had not just on cinema workers but film workers as well because producers need the cinemas to be able to screen their films. With that, we are thankful that they listened to the requests of the cinemas and allowed them to operate again. With the guidelines of the pilot implementation of the government’s new COVID-19 alert level system, cinemas and movie houses in areas under Alert Level 3 starting October 16 are allowed to operate at a maximum of 30% indoor capacity for fully vaccinated individuals.

As the cinemas patiently waited for this decision, they have also been preparing to further ensure the safety of the movie-goers through having their personnels fully vaccinated and readying their facilities, and complying with the minimum health standards set by the government. In aid, the FDCP also offered Basic Occupational Safety and Health training to the cinemas through the Safe Filming's Safety and Health Officer Training Seminar (SHOTS) in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment - Occupational Safety and Health Center (DOLE-OSHC).

To continuously support the cinemas and promote the safety and health of the movie-goers, we are continuing our Nood Tayo ng Sine campaign aiming to encourage the movie-goers to support our local cinemas and at the same time advocate for safe movie watching inside the movie houses.

Furthermore, the FDCP is currently working and coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH), DTI, and IATF for the set of safety and health protocols for the cinemas. Kindly expect these protocols to be posted on our Nood Tayo ng Sine page.

The FDCP is truly grateful for the consideration of reopening the cinemas, as though at a limited capacity, this will immensely help not just the livelihood of cinema workers but also the Philippine Film Industry.