Please be informed that the Maritime Industry Board, in its meeting on April 26, 1983 has approved the following guidelines/limitation in the importation/charter of secondhand tuna long liners.

In view thereof, "paragraph 1.7 Fishing Vessels under Size Restrictions" of Memorandum Circular No. 25 dated August 12, 1982 is hereby amended and for this purpose the following guidelines are hereby adopted and incorporated in the amended Memorandum Circular.

1. The secondhand boats that may be imported shall be not lower than 25 GT for use specifically in tuna longline fishing, a selective fishing operation designed for catching deep-swimming matured yellowfin and big-eyed tuna species which are enjoying premium price in the export market.  The boats, therefore, must have been designed for such purpose as certified by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the MARINA.

2. The age of the boats shall be in accordance with the CB Monetary Board Resolution No. 0635 dated Sept. 3, 1982 and MARINA Memorandum Circular No. 25 dated August 12, 1982.   

Maximum Age

Period Covered

 

 

12 years

  1983 -1984  

10 years

1985 -1986

3. The exemption shall be for a period of three years (1983-1986) unless an extension is found desirable by a review of the policy to be undertaken jointly by the MARINA-CB-BOI-FIDC-BFAR in consultation with the fishery and shipbuilding industries, taking into account:

	3.1.	The extent by which the tuna longline fishing technology has been transferred to local counterparts and the fact that this may be available only with the purchase of the secondhand equipment; and
	3.2.	The extent that the local diesel engine and ship-building industries development program has progressed in terms of increased local content and reduced price for new locally-built boats available capacity, etc.

4. In order to preclude acquisition of vessel beyond what our fishery resources may be able to sustain, the number of vessels that may be allowed for importation annually shall not exceed the number of units that have been programmed for tuna longline fishing by the Fishery Industry Development Council (FIDC) as indicated in the approved Integrated Fisheries Development Plan for the 80's, to wit:

Year

No. of Boats¹

Equivalent Catch
(Yellowfin & Big-Eye)
in MT

     

 

1983

70

21,000

 

1984

82

26,000

 

1985

94

30,000

 

5. For the effective implementation of these Guidelines all requests for importation of tuna longline vessels shall be subject to a BOI clearance that such importation is in compliance with the prescribed Guidelines.

MARINA Memorandum Circulars No. 10, 21, 21-A, 22 and 25 insofar as they are not inconsistent with this Circular shall remain in full force and effect.

This Circular shall take effect starting 1 June 1983.

Adopted: June 1983

(SGD.) VICTORINO A. BASCO Administrator

(SGD.) JOSE P. DANS JR. Minister of Transportation & Communication

Re-Issued: 16 May 1991

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¹ May vary with the size of the boats