DA eyes October start for 250K tons fish imports

The importation of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of fish has been pushed back to October due to stable local supply, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday.

The DA earlier said it would begin issuing sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) on August 1 for the fish importation program.

“Yung [250,000 metric tons] na ‘yun, it's final na yun for the year. Pero iti-trigger lang ‘yun pag kailangan. Katulad ngayon, extended ang fishing season dahil sa El Niño. Tapos medyo marami ang supply ng bangus at other fishes,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told reporters.

(That 250,000 metric tons is already final for the year. But it will only be triggered when needed. Right now, for instance, the fishing season has been extended due to El Niño. There is also an abundant supply of milkfish and other fish.)

“So malamang baka sa closed season na lang iti-trigger ‘yun, baka October na or November, kung kailan magsasara ‘yung fishing season. As of the moment, mukhang okay naman ang presyo ng seafood sa atin,” he added.

(So it will likely be triggered only during the closed season, perhaps in October or November when the fishing season closes. At the moment, seafood prices appear to be stable.)

In March, the DA issued Department Circular No. 12, authorizing the importation of 250,000 MT of frozen fish and other fishery and aquatic products for direct consumption.

Under the circular, 10,000 MT of the total volume is reserved for distribution through Kadiwa stores.

The remaining allocation will be distributed at a ratio of 80% for importers in the commercial sector and 20% for associations or cooperatives.

For the commercial sector, 70% of the allocation will be distributed among qualified importers, while the remaining 30% will be allocated through a raffle as a performance-based incentive.

Eligible importers may bring in crabs, lobsters, prawns, shrimp, clams, mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, sea urchins and squid.

The DA also allowed the importation of Alaskan pollock, anchovies, amberjack, barramundi, bigeye, capelin, cobia, cod, channel rockfish, croaker, dolphinfish, eel, emperor, flounder, fusilier, goldbanded fish, gourami, grouper, gurnard, haddock, hairtail, hake, halibut and hoki.

Other species allowed for importation include mackerel, marlin, moonfish, mullet, Nile perch, oilfish, orange roughy, pangasius, plaice, pomfret, ponyfish, rabbitfish, red bream or alfonsino, sablefish, snapper, salmon and sardines.

The list also includes scad, sea bass, sea bream, sillago, smelt, sweetlips, swordfish, threadfin bream, toothfish, trevally, trout, tuna, turbot, whiting and yellowfin sole. — MCG, GMA News