PH IVLP Delegates to Examine IUUF in 10-Day Visit to US

Philippine International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) delegates with Police Attaché General Sotero Ramos, Jr. (front row, left-most) and Agriculture Attaché Dr. Josyline Javelosa (front row, right-most) at the Philippine Embassy on 12 July 2019. (Washington D.C. PE photo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. 24 July 2019 – An eight-person delegation from the Philippines were in the United States to participate in the 10-day International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the US State Department, focused on examining Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF), from 09 to 20 July 2019.

The delegation, composed of five members from the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, two members from the Philippine Coast Guard, and one member from the Philippine National Police’s Regional Maritime Unit, paid a courtesy visit at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. on 12 July 2019, and met with the Embassy’s Police Attaché General Sotero Ramos, Jr. and Agriculture Attaché Dr. Josyline Javelosa.

On-going collaboration between the Philippines and the U.S. in addressing IUUF and their engagements with various U.S. federal and state agencies related to fishing and coastal waterway management such as the U.S.Coast Guard, Department of Defense, and the Department of Commerce's National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were discussed during the said visit.

Dr. Javelosa expressed appreciation for the collaboration initiatives given that IUUF is a mutual concern of the Philippines and the US. “The IUUF is a major threat to our marine resources as well as to the well-being and resilience of fishing communities whose livelihoods and food security depend on this important sector”.

General Ramos likewise highlighted the need for continued and enhanced bilateral and international cooperation to prevent, deter, and eliminate IUUF.

The project, which aims to strengthen U.S. engagement with countries around the world and cultivate lasting relationships by connecting current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term visits to the U.S., is being administered by the Meridian International Center’s Professional Exchanges Division in Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.

Addressing IUUF contributes to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources and marine ecosystems. END

For more information, visit https://www.washingtonpe.dfa.gov.ph, www.philippineembassy-usa.org, https://www.facebook.com/PHinUSA or https://twitter.com/philippinesusa