MANILA – Canada is looking forward to concluding negotiations on an agreement to provide the Philippines access to satellite technology that can track and ultimately combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the country.
In a statement released by the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines on Saturday, Ambassador David Hartman said that the said agreement will provide the Philippines access to Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection program.
According to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada website, the said program, valued at $7 million, uses “satellite technology to locate and track vessels whose location transmitting devices have been switched off, sometimes in an attempt to evade monitoring, control and surveillance.”
Under the program, Canada will provide state-of-the-art satellite data and analysis to small island nations and coastal states around the world where IUU fishing has a major impact on local economies, food security and the health of fish stocks.
The aim of the program “is to detect vessels engaging in IUU fishing, also known as “dark vessels” in near-real time.
"We are looking forward to imminently concluding negotiations on an agreement to provide the Philippines with access to Canada's Dark Vessel Detection program - a satellite-based near-real time monitoring capability,” Hartman said.
“This will dramatically enhance Philippine maritime domain awareness, and facilitate the Philippines ability to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, as well as protect its marine environments,” Hartman added.
A senior Canadian Embassy official, who requested not to be named, told reporters that the agreement is already up for “final legal review”.
The Canadian Embassy is hoping the deal could be signed during the 6th Philippine-Canada Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting in Ottawa next week.
Negotiations for the program between Canada and the Philippines began in January 2023 after Ottawa identified the Philippines as a core partner in its Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Hartman said that" Canada is prepared, pending conclusion of the implementing agreement, to deploy the system in the coming weeks."
