GROUP URGES PERMANENT FISH IMPORT BAN

Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is urging the government to permanently ban the entry of imported fish in the wet markets.

“While we welcome the temporary ban of certain imported fish in local wet markets, this should translate into actual policy that will permanently prohibit fish importation,” said Pamalakaya national spokesperson Ronnel Arambulo in a statement.

“As long as the policies of import liberalization are in place, our market remains exposed to cheap imported fish at the expense of our local fishing industry,” added Arambulo.

According to Pamalakaya, the government’s problem of imported fish would be resolved if no importation policies have been implemented in the first place.

The group reiterated the call to repeal Fisheries Administrative Order 195, a directive issued in 1999 that allows the importation of fish but only for their canning and processing.

“We likewise refute the claim of importers that suspension of fish importation will further the inflation, because it is the middlemen system that actually controls the market pricing, not the supply of fish,” it added.

Pamalakaya noted that round scad (galunggong) retails for P240 per kilogram yet its farm-gate price remains at P120 per kg.

Earlier, the DA announced it temporarily barred the entry of certain imported fish to avert their diversion to wet markets which could aggravate disruptions in the food value chain.

With that, it suspended the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for nearly all fish species.