The main factor why General Santos City was hailed as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines" is because of its Geographical location. The Southern Philippines lies in the Tuna Belt wherein there is much tuna. This belt can sustain roughly around 3 million tons per annum, worth about $4 billion.

Courtesy of GSCFPC

         Six (6) of the Philippine’s eight (8) Tuna Canneries are based in Gensan. Other than the City’s proximity to the fishing grounds, General Santos City also offers highly skilled labor, location advantages, modern facilities and low electricity power cost, thus making it highly competitive in the world’s tuna market.

Photographed by: Airah Jane Ang

UPGRADING PRODUCT QUALITY

        In cognizance of the actuality that the bulk of raw materials are set for the export market, the General Santos Fish Port management established food safety policies & procedures in order to upgrade product quality. It has undertaken relevant activities to address food safety concerns. To sustain compliance to food safety standards, internal monitoring and audit is regularly executed as well as conduct of trainings and seminars to Port Clients and other Industry Users on:

• 5’S of Good House Keeping

• Standard Sanitation Operation Procedure

• Good Manufacturing Practices

• Hazard Analysis Critical Control point

• Proper fish Handling onboard Fishing Vessels

        This system will ensure not only the quality of all fish and fishery related products unloaded, and processed inside the port complex but also assures that the products are safe for human consumption up to the time the fish reaches the consumers. This system will also boost the export of the fishing industry to other countries making General Santos Fish Port more globally competitive.