A MASSIVE surge in fish imports have been observed affecting the local fisheries and aquaculture industry, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
Data from the Philippine Fisheries Profile, which was published by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, showed that the total imports of fresh, chilled, and frozen fish alone from 2017 to 2022 reached 2.37 million metric tons, having a worth of P163.76 billion.
This was due to the loose importation policy, which included unloading shipments in private ports.
The amount was nearly a million metric tons more than the 1.41 million metric tons imported during the Aquino administration (2011–2016), which cost only P64.15 billion.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the practice, particularly the diversion of imported fish to private ports instead of designated government-run facilities under the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), affected the imports.
“Just to give you an example, we now only allow fish shipments to be unloaded in PFDA fishery ports. Noong [In the] previous administration, bago ako pumasok [before I came in], they were allowing unloading in private ports na kung sino lang maglista [for whoever had themselves listed],” he said.
Tiu Laurel said he had to “cleanse” the registry to get a better picture of the country’s fish requirements.
The DA has required that import allocations be based on previous-year performance.
It also mandates that all shipments be unloaded only at PFDA ports to ensure tax compliance, supply monitoring, and market stability for both consumers and local producers.
Data for 2023 showed fish imports eased slightly to 404,027 metric tons, down from 414,539 metric tons in 2022, which was a possible sign of tightening controls. (GMA Integrated News)
