ILOILO CITY, Sept. 29 (PNA) — For the first time in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, special emphasis will be placed on the blue economy, or fishery and marine resources, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano said on Tuesday.
This will especially be helpful to the Philippines, which has one of the biggest and most varied marine resources in the world.
During the APEC Food Security Week and High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy, the agriculture official revealed that the Philippine government will be partnering with other government agencies, such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), for the high-level dialogue.
“We have started with the series of working groups and policy dialogue meetings, and all of these are going to culminate in a high-level policy dialogue on food security and the blue economy,” Serrano said.
The Asia-Pacific region houses the Pacific Ocean, he said, noting that as such, it cannot avoid experiencing cyclical bouts of El Niño and La Niña, which impact the agricultural sector.
A public policy forum will be held to discuss food security matters, which will be led by BFAR, “reflecting our particular emphasis in these engagements in APEC on the blue economy or the fisheries,” he said.
Blue economy means making use of the Philippines’ aquatic and ocean resources to boost the economy.
The Philippines aims for ocean-based profit, which is larger than its green economy, which refers to forest and agriculture. (PNA)