Fisherfolk group on Saturday slammed the impending importation of 35,000 metric tons (MT) of a number of frozen fish varieties for moist markets accepted by the federal government.
Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) stated the deliberate importation will have an effect on the livelihoods of native fisherfolk.
“We’ve been opposing that for long… When there’s a gap in supply, the automatic solution is importation, it’s not right,” stated Pamalakaya nationwide chairperson Fernando Hicap in an interview on Dobol B sa GTV.
The Department of Agriculture lately allowed the importation of 35,000 MT of frozen spherical scad, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, and moonfish for moist markets for the interval October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023.
The importation is supposed to fill the anticipated provide shortfall as the federal government is ready to implement a three-month closed fishing season in varied areas for conservation.
The areas coated by the yearly closed fishing season are the Northeast Palawan Sea each November 1 to January 31 the next 12 months, the Visayan Sea each November 15 to February 15 the next 12 months, and the Zamboanga Peninsula protecting the East Sulu Sea, Basilan Strait, and Sibuguey Bay each December 1 to March 1 the next 12 months.
“It’s not true that importation will stabilize supply and therefore price because the traders are the ones dictating the prices. They are also the importers,” stated Hicap.
“Importation will not ensure price and supply stability… since it’s due to the closed fishing [season], it’s artificial. The government should have a program to address the gap,” he added.
Hicap stated the federal government should guarantee there are sufficient shares in areas affected by the closed fishing season.
“Importation is not the solution,” he stated. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
