‘Galunggong’ too pricey? Try cheaper ‘bangus’ or tilapia

FISH producers on Monday appealed to Filipino consumers to patronize local bangus and tilapia amid weak demand for locally grown fish.

In a news statement, food security advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan said two of the country’s biggest producers of bangus and tilapia in Batangas and Pampanga have reported a dramatic drop in demand for the local fish amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Bangus and tilapia are much more affordable than galunggong. Retail prices of these aquaculture species are more stable as tilapia currently retails in our wet markets at P120 and bangus at P160 while

galunggong sells at P240,” the group said.

Meanwhile, the group assured the public of sufficient fish supply

despite the recent two typhoons, which affected thousands of fish cages.

Mario Balazon, director of the Taal Lake Aquaculture Alliance Inc. (TLAAI) composed of 3,000 fish farmers, said the recent typhoons damaged over 1,000 fish cages but this doesn’t mean the fish are gone.

“Nakawala sila, pero hindi nawala. We’re now in the process of putting the fish back to their cages. Those that can’t be recaptured will surely be caught by other fishermen and consumed by nearby communities,” he said.

Philippine Tilapia Stakeholders

Association President Jon Juico is also confident that tilapia fishpond farmers in Pampanga can supply consumer protein needs.

“Before the pandemic, we have two cycles of harvest a year. Unfortunately, we experienced a dramatic drop in demand for tilapia during the pandemic, which forced us to limit our harvest to one cycle a year. Even so, farm-gate prices are really low,” he said.

Balazon added that prices of fish around the lake can be as low as P40 per kilo as artisanal fishers were able to catch part of the fish that escaped.

However, Juico said that if the country needs more supply to fill perceived supply deficit during the closed season, ponds in Pampanga are ready to harvest anytime.

“The tilapia in our ponds is already oversized because of the long wait for stronger demand. We’re more than ready and eager to answer government’s call for more fish supply,” he added.

Earlier, the group said the Department of Agriculture’s decision to allow 60,000 metric tons (MT) fish importation is “excessive,” as local production is enough to cover projected supply shortfalls in the upcoming closed fishing season.

Instead of relying on imports and issuing more certificates of necessity to import (CNI) next year, DA must support domestic producers, Tugon Kabuhayan said.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar has greenlighted the importation of small pelagic fishes, such as galunggong, for wet market sale to augment the country’s domestic supply in anticipation of the closed fishing season.

DA will require the importers to sell the imported fish at a wholesale price of P88 per kilogram or lower “as a result of the cost unbundling for imported small pelagic fishes.”

The CNI would be valid from September 2 until the end of December. The import volume will be allocated among eligible importers through an auction system, with the BFAR overseeing the processing of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPS-IC) for the winning auctioneers, which will be endorsed to Dar for approval.