The price of galunggong within the National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to go down in the coming weeks, with the lifting of the three-month closed fishing season in Palawan, which supplies 95 percent of galunggong being sold in Navotas Fish Port Complex, the largest fish port in Southeast Asia.
A statement on Tuesday showed that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) already lifted the three-month closed fishing season on round scad or galunggong in northeastern Palawan on January 31, 2021.
This marks the sixth year since it was first implemented in 2015.
With the opening of the galunggong-rich northeastern Palawan, the supply of galunggong in the wet markets of Metro Manila is set to increase.
“As a result, BFAR is expecting the price of galunggong and other fish commodities to stabilize in the capital region in the coming weeks, BFAR said.
At select markets, the price of galunggong stood at P240 to P260 per kilogram as of Tuesday, based on the price monitoring report of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Since 2015, the implementation of closed fishing season in Palawan has continually yielded significant positive results in the production of galunggong in the area.
Based on the report of the National Stock Assessment Program of Region IVB, the catch estimates of the species caught by purse seine has increased from 402.13 metric tons (MT) in 2016 to 653.66 MT in 2019, while those caught by ringnet bumped up from 170.97 MT to 285.32 MT during the same period.
BFAR National Director Eduardo B. Gongona said that this consistent and gradual increase in catch of galunggong in the area is a welcome development in BFAR’s bid to take care of our country’s fishery resources.
During the span of the three-month closed fishing season, BFAR’s law enforcement group stationed in Region IV-B has continuously conducted monitoring and patrol operations in the area.
According to their report, only two fishing vessels were caught violating the order.