Tuna industry reels from ban; jobless workers on the rise

Local tuna players are feeling the pinch of the closure of the high seas in portions of the Pacific Ocean, with one fishing company informing the Labor department that it was stopping work for six months, a top Labor official confirmed on Monday. Ma. Gloria A. Tango, DoLE-Central Mindanao director, said NH Agro Industrial Corp., a member of the South Cotabato Purse-Seiners Association (SOCOPA), had informed them that 208 workers had been affected by the temporary work suspension as a result of the ban imposed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).