Players in the local tuna industry are now feeling the pinch of the closure of the high seas in portions of the Pacific Ocean, with one fishing company officially informing the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) of works stoppage for six months, a top Labor official confirmed on Monday. Ma. Gloria A. Tango, DoLE-Central Mindanao director, said that NH Agro Industrial Corp., a member of the South Cotabato Purse-Seiners Association (SOCOPA), informed the agency recently that 208 workers have been affected by the temporary work suspension as a result of the ban imposed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPC).

Sarmiento, R. S. (2010, January 26). Local tuna industry reeling from ban; jobless workers on rise. BusinessWorld, p. S1/3.