5 Feb 2009

Palau state and private sector officials explore fishing ventures in Philippines

10:10 am on 5 February 2009

Palau state and private sector officials are visiting the Philippines in a two-day visit to explore joint fishing ventures with counterparts in southern Mindanao.

Business World online reports the delegation includes Palau fisheries bureau officials, Palau Ambassador to the Philippines Ramon Rechibei, and top executives of three tuna fishing firms.

The government has been looking for access to new fishing areas since last year, following Indonesia's tighter rules on tuna fishing in its waters.

In May last year, Indonesia banned the transport of tuna caught in its waters for processing in overseas markets, projecting an 80,000-metric ton output loss per year .