Sorsogon Governor Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero has said helping the local fishing industry grow and making it competitive should be the priority of the government over importation to address a projected shortage, if it wants to ensure a steady stream of fish supply in the country.
Escudero, a senatorial candidate, said a recent announcement by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to import 60,000 metric tons of fish due to its projected supply shortfall of 119,000 metric tons from January to March is worrisome.
He said the fishing industry might suffer the same fate as vegetable growers who saw their profits shrank because of smuggled imported farm products that flooded the local market.
“Bago sana bahain ng imported na isda ang merkado, sana buhusan muna ng gobyerno nang sapat na suporta ang mga Pilipinong mangingisda upang hindi sila tuluyang malunod sa kahirapan (Before the market is flooded with imported fish, government should give adequate support to Filipino fishermen before they drown in poverty),” Escudero said.
According to DA, it has signed the certificate of necessity to import (CNI) so that government could set the date to open the application covering the new import volume for qualified importers, in accordance with its 2018 Fisheries Administrative Order 259 which sets the rules and regulations for the importation of frozen fish and aquatic products for wet markets during closed and off-fishing season.
Escudero, however, said opening the country to imported fish and other marine products would spell disaster for 1.6 million Filipino fishers and industry workers.
“Dapat last resort lang ang importasyon ng anumang produkto, kasama na ang mga isda (Importation of any product, including fish, should be the last resort). Ang higit na kailangan ng bansa ay permanenteng programa upang magkaroon ng direksyon ang industriya ng pangingisda (We need a permanent program to point the way the direction the fishing industry needs). Huwag tayong tumaya sa importasyon kapag may kakulangan sa suplay, doon tayo sa pangmatagalang solusyon na may kasigurahan (We need long term solutions instead of resorting to importation),” he added.
The latest decision to import fish, the veteran legislator said, is just a reflection of the poor state of the country’s fishing industry.
“The Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world, we have a coastline that spans 36,289 kilometers making it the 5th longest in the world, we ranked 11th among the major producers of marine capture in the world, and yet the fishing sector only contributed 1.3 percent to the GDP (gross domestic product) and poverty incidence among fisherfolk remained high at 26.2 percent). These are clear indications that the government needs to do more for the sector that feeds us and ensure that it flourishes,” Escudero, who is seeking a Senate return, pointed out.
He said authorities should rethink the plan to import fish, as well as relax Fisheries Administrative Order 167-3, which imposes a three-month closed fishing season.
“For the meantime, the government can probably ease this rule, particularly in areas where our fisherfolks have been impacted by Super Tyhphon Odette, so they can resume their livelihood and source of income,’’ Escudero said.
The government, he said, can look to boosting aquaculture farming which represented 41.84 percent of about P282 billion in terms of value of fisheries production in 2019. “We see some bright spot here. Bakit hindi ito palakasin pa? (Why should not we strengthen it?).
He added that fisheries officials should also help equip local fishers with better boats and gears, new technological know-how and skills, modern post-harvest facilities, knowledge on environmental impacts, up-to-date research and information about the industry, among others.
In Sorsogon, Escudero said, the provincial government partnered with the DA and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for the project “Bangka Ko, Gawa Ko,” which provided training to fishermen to build fiberglass boats.
The project has completed 235 boats, as of July last year, which were distributed to fisherfolks in the coastal municipalities of Pilar, Bulan, Donsol, Castilla, Magallanes, and Matnog.