To maintain the supply of fish, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has allowed the importation of galunggong or round scad as a preparation for this year’s fishing season coming to a close.

A closed fishing season is implemented in different fishing grounds to secure and allow different species of fish to spawn and reproduce.

According to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, fisheries stakeholders are set to import an initial 17,000 metric tons of galunggong from Vietnam, Taiwan and China for sale in Metro Manila.

Last week, the Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) was amended allowing private traders to import galunggong for canning and processing.

However, it was further stated in the FAO that only fishing boat vendors associations will be allowed to import to ensure that traders will not control the price of fish in the local market.

Other regions may also be issued Certificates of Necessity which will allow stakeholders to bring imported fish for their local markets, BFAR sources said.

Starting in October until February next year, major fishing grounds such as the Visayan Sea, the Maqueda Bay, the Davao Gulf, the Moro Gulf, the Palawan-Mindoro Fishing Grounds and municipal waters all over the country are scheduled to be closed.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has requested the Bureau of Customs to lift the special safeguard (SSG) duty on onion imports to reduce retail prices.

Piñol wrote Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to temporarily suspend the SSG to “cushion the impact of rising prices and mitigate the impact of soaring inflation.”

With the SSG’s suspension, the DA chief expects the prices of red and white onions to go down in two weeks.