Manila, Philippines – “It would be a campaign to boycott the imported fish while calling to support and patronize the local produce of our small fisherfolk,” according to the national fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Tuesday, as they gear for a nationwide campaign against imported fish. The Department of Agriculture has approved to import 60, 000 metric tons of galunggong (round scad), bonito (mackerel), among other pelagic fishes that are expected to enter the country this month.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA slammed agriculture secretary William Dar for “always resorting to importation as a solution to shortage and inflation”.
“The Department of Agriculture never learns. Every time there is an alleged shortage, the default solution is to flood our market with imported fish. Yet this measure never addresses and resolves the crisis in our fisheries production that happens on a yearly basis,” Ronnel Arambulo, PAMALAKAYA Spokesperson said in a statement.
The fishers’ group argued that imported fish which can be sold in local public markets at a very low price is a “threat to the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk because imported fishes outcompete their fishery and marine products,”.
“Lugi ang mga mangingisda sa tuwing bumabaha ng imported sa mga palengke. Dahil mababa ang halaga ng mga inangkat, natutulak ang mga mangingisda na pababain pa ang presyo ng mga huli nila dahil kung hindi ay walang bibili ng mga ito,” Arambulo explained.
PAMALAKAYA said it is currently monitoring the farm gate price of galunggong in Palawan province, where the Navotas fish port gets almost 90% of its galunggong supply.
“Babantayan namin kung paano maapektuhan ng pagbaha ng mga imported na isda ang presyo ng produkto ng ating mga mangingisda. Higit sa lahat, magsisilbi itong batayan para palakasin ang panawagang i-boycott ang mga imported na isda, at sa halip ay tangkilikin ang produkto ng ating mga mangingisda at igiit ang pagpapalakas sa kanilang produksyon sa pamamagitan ng ayuda at suportang pangkabuhayan,” said Arambulo.
