[asia-apec 1097] NO TO FISH IMPORTS!

[by way of tpl at cheerful.com]

<center><bold><color><param>ffff,0000,0000</param><bigger><bigger>PROTECT
OUR LOCAL PHILIPPINE FISH PRODUCERS, 

NO TO FISHERY IMPORTATION!

</bigger></bigger></color></bold></center><color><param>ffff,0000,0000</param><bigger>

</bigger></color><center><bold><color><param>0000,0000,ffff</param>A
Declaration of Unity and Cooperation Against Fishery Importation 

by the </color><italic><color><param>ffff,0000,0000</param>Network
Opposed to Fishery Importations 

</color></italic>(NO TO FISH IMPORTS!)

</bold></center>


We, fisherfolk leaders and representatives of the Philippine’s local fish
producers believe that we all share a strong commitment to cooperate and
struggle against a common problem that currently confronts our local fish
producers and the whole fishing industry.   


We believe that under the fishery policy and program thrusts of the
Estrada government to fully liberalize, as specified in its commitments
to the World Trade Organization - General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(WTO-GATT) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), our local
fishing industry and local markets will only become a dumping ground of 
imported fishery products.  Due to fast-tracked import liberalization
dictated by globalization, our local fish producers are being injuriusly
affected by undue competition brought about by the influx of heavily
subsidized, cheap, surplus fishery commodities.  


We therefore express our utmost concern regarding the mounting surge of
imported fishery products being landed at the Navotas Fish Port Complex
(NFPC), which, as per record of the Philippine Fisheries Development
Authority (PFDA) for the first two months of this year alone, reached
1.14 million kilograms or 5.26 percent of the total landings at the NFPC
during the same period.  Based on our findings, this quantity represents
44.19 percent of the total 3.02 million kilograms of imported fish
landings at the NFPC for the whole previous year.  This excludes other
fishing ports which may have imported and we have reason to believe that
the total imported fishery products that entered the country may run from
three to five million kilograms.


We manifest our objection to the unfair trading practices by foreign
exporters and local importers that cause inequitable market conditions
for our local producers who suffer from high production costs compared to
low-cost imports that are being sold at prices below our productions
costs.  This clearly means a decrease in the income of local fish
producers, millions worth lost to imports,  and millions pocketed by
unscrupulous importers and their foreign counterparts.   


We express disapproval over the current spate of imports that further
drain the economy of valuable dollar reserves, rather than being utilized
to boost our local producers and the local fishing economy.


We express concern over the economic deception made by importers and
their foreign counterparts that push Filipino consumers into buying
surplus, overpriced and less quality fish imports.  Intensification of
fishery importations only create further conditions and justification to
the lopsided governmental policy of “food security” that is heavily
dependent on the capacity to import rather than the development of the
local fishing economy’s efficient, sustainable, and equitable production
and distribution for the Filipino people's benefit.  

  

We blame liberalization under WTO-GATT and APEC for prying open the local
agricultural and fisheries economy to multinational corporations and
heavily subsidized fishing enterprises of the First World.  We have not
benefitted from trade liberalization. Under GATT and APEC, our production
and the prices of our products are only rendered uncompetitive by imports
sold at prices equivalent to, or worse, below the productions cost of
Filipino local producers.  


We criticize the government for its neglect in developing the local
fishing industry, particularly its apathy to the small fisherfolk sector
and its irresponsible and unconcerned commitment in opening the
Philippine fishing economy to the unhampered entry of imported fishery
products and commodities.  


Still, we appeal to government’s sense of sobriety and attention to the
impact of import liberalization that currently works against the interest
of Filipino fish producers and consumers.  We believe that there is still
time to prevent the collapse of the local fishing industry that would
economically and socially displace more than one million direct fish
producers and millions more who eke out their living in ancillary
industries like netmending, netmaking, fish processing, canning, 
post-harvest storages, shipbuilding and others.


Therefore, we who belong to the productive sectors of our population, we
who contribute significantly to the Philippine economy, we who supply and
provide vital and affordable protein food to millions of poor Filipinos,
call for an immediate and unconditional stop to the reckless importation
of fishery products.  We also renounce government’s trade commitments to
the WTO and APEC involving fisheries and agriculture.  We want to get out
of GATT and APEC before our local fishing economy comes into full
collapse.  # # # 


======================================================

<bold><smaller>The Network Opposed to Fishery Importations or NO TO FISH
IMPORTS! is a loose assemblage of legal and legitimate peoples
organizations, enterprises and individuals representing the local fishing
industry’s fish producers, primarily the traditional fisherfolk sector,
the small, medium and large-scale commercial fishing sectors, and the
aquaculture sector.  The NO to FISH IMPORTS! acts on the basis of a
vigilant, militant and learned opposition to the manifold effects of
increasing importation of fishery products to local fish producers and
the whole fishing industry.    The Network Opposed to Fishery
Importations or NO TO FISH IMPORTS! is currently composed of the
following peoples’ organizations, fishing enterprises, and individuals:



</smaller></bold>* <bold>Nationwide Coalition of Fisherfolk for Aquatic
Reform<italic> (NACFAR)

</italic></bold>* <bold>Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng
Pilipinas<italic> (PAMALAKAYA)

</italic></bold>* <bold>Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations,
Incorporated <italic>(APFFI)</italic> 

</bold>* <bold>Chamber of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 
<italic>(CFAR)

</italic></bold>