‘Consumers and the fisherfolk’s group Pamalakaya pointed out that in December 2019 up to the first quarter of 2020 when the country imported 45,000 metric tons of fish, the fish prices in the market remained high, the fishermen lost their livelihood, and the importers made money.’
FOR a while there, it looked like Agriculture Secretary William Dar had been looking for a credible alibi to serve as a compelling reason for the government to allow the importation of fish, particularly round scad, locally known as “galunggong.” To use as reason the annual three-month closed fishing season in three major seas of the country imposed since 2018 to allow fish species to spawn and recover would not hold water, since it was used already by his predecessor, former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol.
Thanks to the coming of Odette the super typhoon, Dar was given a strong reason for the importation of 60,000 tons of galunggong, saying fish supply will likely trigger high prices and so the DA had to allow fish imports.
The DA chief said local fish supply has yet to normalize from the devastation caused by typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) on many fishing areas late last year. The DA said the fisheries sub-sector suffered the most with P3.97 billion in losses. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has projected a fish supply shortfall of 119,000 MT in the first quarter, prompting the move to import to keep supply and selling prices in wet markets stable.
Consumers and the fisherfolk’s group Pamalakaya pointed out that in December 2019 up to the first quarter of 2020 when the country imported 45,000 metric tons of fish, the fish prices in the market remained high, the fishermen lost their livelihood, and the importers made money. We are bound to repeat it this year.
Political leaders and lawmakers from fishing communities like Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan, chairwoman of the House Committee on Health, have correctly pointed out that our vast seas and marine areas have the potential to produce fish for the protein requirements of the whole Philippines, and more.
Congresswoman Tan recently inaugurated a modern, multi-species fish hatchery in Perez, Quezon under Republic Act 10945 that she authored in the House, with support from Sen. Cynthia Villar in the Senate. The facility has an initial funding of P20 million for Phase 1 and another P15 million for Phase 2, and will greatly boost the production capacity of fishermen from many coastal barangays in Quezon.
Rep. Tan noted that with several island towns and long stretches of shorelines both in Tayabas Bay, Lamon Bay, Ragay Gulf, and Philippine Sea, Quezon can ramp up its 2020 fish production of 29,000 metric tons, down from its 2019 production of 31,500 metric tons.
The key is fish hatcheries and cold storage facilities for round scad (galunggong), frigate tuna (tulingan), Indian mackerel (alumahan), Bali sardinella (tamban) and fimbriated sardines (tunsoy). Aquaculture production in brackish water fishponds (milkfish, mud crab, tiger prawn), marine cages, and freshwater fishponds will all get their much-needed boost from the Perez multi-species hatchery.
A similar project was inaugurated recently in Tigbauan, Iloilo by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) funded with an initial capital of P23 million. Like the one in Quezon, this broodstock and hatchery in Iloilo will increase production of milkfish fries, pompano fries, shrimp post larvae and mud crab instars.
Rep. Tan, former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Congressman Lito Atienza, Senators Francis Tolentino and Villar and many others have maintained that it is better to produce our own food and help our farmers and fishermen make a living rather than subsidizing foreign farmers, fisherfolk and businessmen through unbridled importation of food items.
Correctly said, but is the DA listening?
