Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) joins in the celebration of the 2023 Shark Conservation Week to promote the vital role of the biodiversity of shark and ray species in the balance of marine wildlife and the ocean’s ecosystem from February 27 to March 4, 2023. 

Led by the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource (BFAR) Central Office, this week-long celebration aims to build a constituency and strengthen the conservation of shark and ray species by passing a national legal framework, paving the way to healthier marine ecosystems, and encouraging economic stability and sustainable livelihoods.

Studies showed that each year, 100 million sharks are removed from our oceans, and much of this haul is illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU). As a member of the One Stop Action Center (OSAC), a group that aims to combat IUU fishing in the country, the PFDA strongly supports the protection and conservation of shark and ray species in Philippine waters. 

Through the PFDA Regional Fish Ports (RFP), the agency is committed to implementing effective port state measures to eliminate IUU fishing activities in order to prevent the unlawful catching of shark and ray species in the country. 

OSAC is a multi-agency government center organized in every designated government-owned or -controlled regional fish port complex whose principal tasks include, but are not limited to, the processing of documents of fishery products that are to be transshipped to foreign markets and the documentation of incoming and outgoing foreign vessels.

(Mark Angelo N. Perez - Public Information Division)