PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This Focus Story entitled “Negosyong TUNA’y” is an official entry for Doon Po Sa Amin Learning Challenge under the Technology and Livelihood Topic Category. This story is all about the tuna industry specifically Alliance Tuna International Incorp., that is one of the main firms when it comes on tuna production and hailed as the cleanest and most organized tuna factory in GenSan this year, where in fact, experts from the other country made that title for the company.

Tuna industry is the main source of income in General Santos City. Indeed, this story focused on how the tuna companies on GenSan have grown, how they have helped to the improvement of economy on the city, and how they pioneered the promotion of the city’s industry all over the world.

Look back at the Past

Fishing boat (source: http://www.hobotraveler.com/blogphotos01)

As early as 1970, General Santos City has been tagged as the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”. The total daily catch of adult and juvenile tuna unloaded in the city can surpass that of any other fishport or even the entire unloadings of all other fish ports in the country combined (Aprieto, 1995). The daily catch is easily disposed for foreign and local buyers. The city, being the sanctuary of seven (7) tuna canning factories with an average daily capacity of 750 MT per day and employs around 7,800 plant workers (GEM) the volume of catch on a per day basis is even insignificant as to the distribution of the market.

As of September of the previous year alone, the total catch has reached a voluminous 5,031, 866 kilos where 'sashimi” grade adult tuna comprises 35 % or about 1,774,922 kilos. The locally distributed adult tuna for local consumption ate the largely 65% chunk and distributed to neighboring cities of Davao, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Surigao, South Cotabato and as far Japan and the U.S., skipjack for canned markets in Europe and North America.

(source:www.flickr.com)

Of the total volume of fish landings brought in by the commercial fisheries (669, 597.40 metric tons as reported by the Philippine fish marketing Authority office in General Santos City), tuna species comprises about 50 to 100 percent.

About 45% of the tuna catch are skipjack, about 25% are yellowfin, and about 23%are frigate and bullet tuna. Around 60% of the ring net landings supplied to the local canneries, 35% is brought out of General Santos City to local domestic fish markets and the remaining 5 % is consumed locally.

Tuna longline fishermen catch adult yellowfin and billfish deep waters as an average from 500 to 800 kilograms per trip which lasts from one week to two weeks. The average number of boats that come known to the port on a daily average is about 25 fishing from as far as borderline of Indonesia and Palau Islands. The catch according to the fishermen usually consists of 95% yellowfin, 3% bigeye, and 2% billfish.

The impact of the growing tuna industry of General Santos City has been inviting in-migrants seeking employment in any of the canning factories or sashimi-exporters for the Japan market. The rate of population growth has notably increased in an alarming rate of 2.64% per annum for the last 5 years. This means that the city's population increases at about 10,000 warm bodies per month. The study is based on the trend analysis on General Santos City migration.

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