PHL to explore social and economic impact of galunggong fishing ban

To know how a ban on the lowly galunggong or round scad will impact fishermen and consumers and vendors, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will talk to stakeholders including local government units (LGUs).

BFAR wants to impose a fishing ban to increase the stockpile of what is popularly known as “the poor man's fish.”

“Wala pa pong ban at wala pang date kung kailan ang ban,” BFAR director Asis Perez told GMA News Online on Wednesday. “Ang ginawa ko po is to release a directive to study managing the fishing of galunggong,” he added.

Government is already looking at available data and current fishing practices, and the consultations  “... will involve shippers, fishermen and LGUs (local government units)...” Perez noted.

To cushion the impact of a prohibition, the BFAR chief said the study would cover the “biophysical, and the economic and social impact of a fishing ban.”

Included in the planned ban is another fish species. “We're not only looking at galunggong, but also dalagang bukid (caesio),” Perez said.

News that Perez has ordered a limited and temporary ban on galunggong fishing in Palawan drew negative reactions from various sectors.

“The idea to stop galunggong fishing in Palawan is highly unacceptable. There is no situation that merits the ban,” multi-sector Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in statement last week.

Impact on incomes

In a report by Hadji Rieta on GMA News' “Unang Balita” Wednesday, fish vendors said a ban on galunggong will impact their income, and buyers lamented that the absence of the fish in the market will force them to buy more expensive varieties. 

“Anong gagawin natin kung wala na ngang talaga? Pero hangga't maaari nga sana, iyan ang hanap buhay namin... siyempre apektado kami pag wala nang galunggong... Ang galunggong talaga rito ang nauubos,” said Irene Tamayo, fish vendor at Balintawak Market.

Shopper and carinderia owner Fely Muscoso said, “Ano ang bibilhin namin kung wala nang galunggong? Di bangus [milkfish] na lang...bibilhin kahit mahal, dahil wala nang makain eh.”

Perez, however, defended the efforts to manage stockpiles, saying it is needed to ensure “long-term sustainability” of the fisheries sector.

“Historically, maraming galunggong sa Palawan. But stockpile has since been depleted... 'yung catch bumababa,” Perez said.

“What we want to happen is to bring back the stockpile to what it was 20 years ago. Kung ma-ma-manage ng maayos, maibabalik natin 'yung dating sigla,” he added.

The galunggong harvest declined by 3.49 percent to 166,000 metric tons (MT) last year from 172,000 MT in 2011, latest Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) data showed.

BAS does not have ready data on dalagang bukid output.

Perez said the ongoing study is an offshoot of the ban on sardine fishing in East Sulu Sea, Basilan Strait and Sibuguey Bay, which was lifted last month.

In 2012, sardine harvest in the Zamboanga Region grew as a result of the ban from December 2011 to February 2012. Production for 2012 rose to 156,153.51 MT from 146,835.66 MT in 2011, according to BFAR.

The ban on sardine fishing was also met with skepticism in 2011, with both the fisheries sector and the canning industries raising the loudest protests against its implementation. — VS/BM, GMA News