"Despite this formidable ranking, the Philippines position in the international tuna industry leaves much room for improvement. The industry continues to be vulnerable to price fluctuations in the world market, stiff competition from existing and emerging tun producing country, trade discrimination in some importing countries, limited access to fishing grounds, increasing costs, and operational inefficiencies within the industry. Of late, however, these has been a genuine recognition among the tuna industry players and development partners of the need to urgently address the obstacles to industry’s growth and the industry is now taking firm steps to do just that. With the modest success of the 1st tuna Conference in General Santos City in September 1999 and a series of regional workshops and industry forums earlier this year, it has been confirmed that it is, indeed, possible to bring the multisectoral stakeholder groups together and talk about their common concern-how to strengthen the Philippine tuna industry and become more globally competitive."articles from www.gensantos.gov.ph