MANILA – The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) plan to import round scad, or galunggong every year will disadvantage some one and a half million small fisherfolk in the country, Sen. Cynthia Villar said.
Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said imported galunggong will compete against the locally produced fish variety.
“Kasi kapag nag-iimport tayo that is competition to our one and a half million fisherfolk in the municipal water na mahihirap,” she said on the sidelines of the 14th Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Forum in Mandaluyong City.
Around 17,000 metric tons of galunggong will be imported next month to curb rising prices and ensure adequate supply as the fishing season will be closed, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The galunggong that is expected to arrive on the first week of September will cost between P75 and P80 per kilo.
Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol also bared plans to import fish every year during the closed fishing season, which usually begins in November and end until March.
Instead of importing, the Agriculture department should empower small fisherfolk, said Villar.
“Kung ako ang tatanungin, tutulungan ko na lang ang small fisherfolk na maka-produce sila ng more fish para hindi tayo kailangang mag-import,” the senator said.
“We should not always think of importing. We should think of empowering our small fisherfolk in the municipal water to produce more,” she added.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources earlier clarified that this will not be the first time the country will import galunggong. (GMA News)
