According to a news article in the Philippine newspaper, Businessworld there are fishing companies in the Philippines who are interested in forging joint business ventures on tuna catching with businessmen from Palau.
The article said that among the local fishing companies that have signified interest are those owned by prominent local families such as the Tans, Damalerios and Amadeos.The news said that the local fishing companies that want to explore business cooperation with Palau counterparts are “those that were displaced by the non-renewal of the country’s bilateral fishing access with Indonesia that lapsed two years ago.”The article stated that the five-year bilateral fishing agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia ended in December 2005, but was extended until the end of 2006.Under that bilateral fishing agreement, Philippine tuna fleets were allowed to “catch tuna and tuna-like species within the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).”Under the fishing agreement, it provided licenses to the Philippines for 75 catcher vessels, 150 fish carriers, 20 long liners, 300 light boats, and 10 single purse seiners, as well as allowed access to the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas of the Indonesian EEZ. The agreement also provided offloading and re-supply access to 10 Indonesian ports.The article said that the Palau business delegation includes government officials.
