DA-BFAR, UNDP-GEF, held a Mindanao-Cluster Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop for Octopus Management Framework Plan

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)-Global Environment Facility (GEF) has recently conducted a Mindanao-Cluster Stakeholders Consultation Workshop for Octopus Commodity on April 13-14, 2021 jointly participated by Region 9, Caraga Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) via zoom platform.

The workshop aimed at developing a National Management Framework Plan as part of implementing the Global Sustainable Supply Chains for Marine Commodities Project. It sought to contribute to the sustainability of marine commodities, specifically octopus and blue swimming crab for the Philippines' component, by strengthening platforms in managing these fisheries and implementing fishery improvement projects in the value chain.

National Consultant Dr. Asuncion De Guzman served as resource speaker and facilitated the Root Cause Analysis on the Philippine Octopus Commodity. The workshop included the (1) identification of management issues in the Philippine Octopus Fisheries and (2) suggested management measures for Sustainable Octopus Fisheries.

The output of virtual workshop will be consolidated with that of the Luzon and Visayas clusters for the coming up of a holistic National Management Framework Plan for Octopus including its action plan following the concept of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.

The participants of the said workshop were the octopus gatherers, consolidators, processors together with the local government units that have octopus fishery, local non-government organizations, academe, and BFAR personnel from the Regional Fisheries Inspection and Quarantine Service and from the National Stock Assessment Program.

In Mindanao, Region 9, Caraga and BARMM are octopus top-producing regions that support the local and export industry which generate high income.