President Marcos has directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to increase the production of fish to meet the fish demand in the country.

During a sectoral meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 16, Marcos emphasized the need to improve the aqua culture in the country, and asked the DA to come up with solutions.
"Yung kaninang meeting nag-emphasize si Presidente na kailangan natin i-increase yung aqua culture natin dahil at the end of the day that is what will feed the fish needs of our people. Ang fisheries natin we really just have to manage very well (The President emphasized in the earlier meeting the need to increase our aqua culture because at the end of the day that is what will feed the fish needs of our people. We really just have to manage our fisheries very well)," Agriculture Secretary Francisco Laurel Jr. said in a Palace briefing.
Laurel told the President that in order to increase the country's fish supply, fish habitats must be repaired and must rest for a few years to regain better productivity.
"[T]he President kanina sabi niya paano pa natin mapaparami 'yan— isda— (The President asked how are we going to increase our fish production) then of course we have to repair the habitats, let the fishing grounds rest for a few years para rumami ulit yung isda (to increase the fish)," Laurel said.
The President also floated the plan to give fishing communities and cooperatives bigger boats to allow them to fish more and be more productive and efficient.
Livestock programs, Marcos further said, must also be provided to fisherfolk in order to have an additional income.
During the meeting, the Chief Executive also underscored the need to beef up the seaweed industry in a bid to provide fisherfolk more income.
"Then na-emphasize din ni Mr. President kanina na yung seaweed industry natin kailangan palakasin din para magkaroon ng additional livelihood yung mga fishermen which we will be doing (The President also emphasized the need to bolster our seaweed industry to give additional livelihood to fishermen which we will be doing)," Laurel said.
The DA presented the status of the provision of cold storage and postharvest facilities, plans on reducing the prices of agricultural commodities and enhancing agricultural production, as well as the proposed amendments to the Philippine Fisheries Code and draft Executive Order on Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones during the sectoral meeting in Malacañan.