Manila, Philippines – Balikbayan galunggong (round scad fish) is highly possible given the evident intrusion of industrial fishing fleets from China and Vietnam – the countries in which the Philippines will import 60, 000 metric tons of galunggong starting this month. This was according to the militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) on Tuesday, October 12.
In a statement, the fishers’ group claimed that the said countries are known illegal poachers in the West Philippine Sea.
“Our local fishers are fully aware that these countries are the same countries that frequent our territorial waters to exploit our marine resources in the West Philippine Sea. There’s a high probability that the origin of the fish products that we are going to import comes from our very own fishing grounds. And we all know what happens from there – the influx of balikbayan galunggong will drown our very own market,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA Chairperson said in a statement.
“Literal tayong ginigisa sa sarili nating mantika!” Hicap, former Anakpawis Party-list solon added.
Galunggong is mostly caught off the waters of the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and other major open seas in the Philippines such as Batangas, Mindoro, and Palawan.
PAMALAKAYA over the years has spearheaded the campaign against the importation of fish, and has been calling to strengthen the municipal fisheries production as a measure to attain stable food supply and domestic food security. ###
