The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to cancel its planned importation of 35,000 metric tons of fish set for October.
The group expressed concerns over the “further decrease” in farmgate prices, which they said could worsen if the importation proceeds.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA reported that the prices of fish such as galunggong have already fallen to P100 per kilogram, while bonito is being sold at P80 per kilogram in several parts of the country.
“The prices of some fish have already dropped for fishers, and there are fears that these will fall even further when the imported fish comes in this October,” said Ronnel Arambulo, PAMALAKAYA National Vice Chairperson.
Arambulo called for the cancellation of this year’s fish importation, warning that traders would likely exploit the situation to further depress fish prices.
He said fishers are already enduring substantial losses and are still recovering from consecutive calamities and other livelihood crises.
The fishers’ group clarified that low farmgate prices do not translate to fair retail prices, as private traders manipulate the market and inflate the prices at the expense of both fishers and consumers.
The DA has issued a memorandum circular allowing the importation of 35,000 metric tons of frozen galunggong, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, and moonfish from October 1 to December 31, 2024.
According to the DA’s website, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has approved the importation of 25,000 metric tons of pelagic fish species for the last quarter of 2024, with the requirement that the shipments arrive in the country by January 15, 2025.
The importation aims to address an anticipated decline in fish supply due to the three-month closed fishing season, which begins on November 1 in the waters northeast of Palawan and on November 15 in the Visayan Seas and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Laurel said 80 percent of the total import volume will be allocated to registered commercial fishing sector importers, while the remaining 20 percent will be designated for fisheries associations and cooperatives.
A minimum import volume of 112 metric tons, equivalent to four containers, will be set for commercial importers, while fisheries associations and cooperatives will be allocated 56 metric tons, or two containers.
Importers will be able to apply for sanitary and phytosanitary permits once the Department of Agriculture’s order takes effect, with validity between September 1 and November 30.
However, frozen pelagic fish can only be released to the market starting October 1, with the final shipments required to arrive by January 15, 2025.
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