The Philippine government can soon utilize a new catch documentation system – which took five years to be developed – in addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF). A statement showed that the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in partnership with the USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnership (USAID Oceans) and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), already completed the establishment of the electronic catch documentation and traceability (e-CDT) system after five years. The e-CDT system, according to them, will document key information about harvest, processing and transportation of fisheries products. This could enable traceability from harvest and point of origin to the product’s destination, a process that eliminates the chances of IUU fishing and illegally caught fish from entering the market.

Miraflor, M. B. (2020, February 15). BFAR to tap new catch documentation system to fight illegal fishing. Manila Bulletin, p. B-4.