The Department of Agriculture (DA) has approved the importation of 25,000 metric tons (MT) of various fish products, including salmon, sardines, clams, and squid, for the period of March to May.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said this directive aims to ensure that there is a stable food supply in the country, preventing potential price surges in the market.

The Philippines, being an archipelago with rich marine resources, has been relying on to importation to keep prices down amid fish and seafood inflation.

The 25,000 MT of fish imports permitted under Memorandum Order (MO) No. 12 was formulated by the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) last year.

The NFARMC, a recommendatory body attached to the DA, set this import ceiling to address inflation concerns and improve the allocation of import volume for institutional buyers and wet markets.

Calling it an “experimental approach,” the DA said the goal is to test whether the combined import cap can help stabilize prices while maintaining a sufficient food supply.

An impact analysis has been required by the NFARMC to assess if the approved imports can be the solution to the aforementioned issues.

Under the DA’s order, importers wishing to participate must have been accredited for at least one year and previously engaged in similar imports.

An initial volume of 28 MT shall be allocated to each qualified importer, with the remaining volume allocated to importers on a “first come first serve basis.”

Those with incomplete documentary requirements, without Bureau of Customs (BOC) accreditation at the start of the importation period, or under investigation for food safety violations will be excluded from the importations.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will issue sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import clearances with 45-day validity.

In addition, cold storage facilities with a valid license to operate from the BFAR will be allowed to store the imported seafood.

Fisheries groups have long rejected the government’s moves to import food, noting its possible impact on the livelihood of local fisherfolk.

In response, Laurel argued that this new batch of fish imports “should not affect local fishermen.”

He added that this will instead help in the ease of doing business for the fish industry.

“This will also add variety in the market, especially for food service industry, since fish and marine species covered by this importation are mostly fish and marine products not caught locally,” Laurel said in a statement.

Among the fish that will be imported include Alaskan pollock, barramundi, bluefin tuna, capelin, Chilean seabass, cobia, cod, croaker, eel, emperor, fish meat, flounder, gindara, grouper, hake, halibut, hamachi, hoki, lobster, marlin, moonfish, mussels, mullet, octopus, oil fish, oyster, pangasius, red snapper, scallops, sea bream, silverfish, smelt, soft and hardshell crabs, swordfish, tuna by-products, and yellowtail sole.