Commitment and Contradiction: The Philippine Tuna Trade and the War on Terror

Abstract

The US-led war on terror has made global security the foremost international priority. The true measure of international commitment to this goal will be whether and how it extends to areas of national interest, particularly in the economic domain. The campaigns for and against the Andean Trade Preference Expansion Act both invoke commitments to security which, upon scrutiny, prove to be specious. Both the US and the Philippines argue variations of the popular contention that greater trade will lead to greater security. In reality, greater trade in the Philippine fisheries sector has contributed to both the food and livelihood insecurity of low-income Filipinos and small-scale fisherfolk. It would seem that policies justified in the name of security more truly serve elite national economic interests. Where elite national interest trumps international commitments, contradictions become apparent and undermine the moral claims of the war effort.