Bringing down the prices of freshwater fish such as bangus and tilapia is possible, said a small fisherfolk group.

According to the National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines, or Pamalakaya, to achieve this, the fishers must increase their fish input.

“Our aquaculture friends said that the farmgate price of bangus is P140 to P150, and that of tilapia is P80,” Pamalakaya National Chairperson Fernando Hicap told the DAILY TRIBUNE.

“For example, our fishermen in Laguna de Bay, the traders buy their harvested tilapia, P40 to P60 [per kilo]. It's that low. Traders buy them at much lower prices compared to the catches of our small aquaculture fishermen.”

He added that expanding aquaculture is also needed, citing that some areas have become vulnerable to pollution. He used as an example the lakes in Taal and Laguna, Pangasinan, where fish kills are rampant.

"At the same time, the government... the aquaculture they will push must be cooperative, or community-on. The government should help the fishermen, municipal fishermen, manage aquaculture so that there is no competition."

Based on the Department of Agriculture’s latest price monitoring, bangus is currently priced between P140 and P240 per kilo, while tilapia is priced between P125 and P160.

Local galunggong, on the other hand, is between P200 and P320 per kilo.

Phl 100% fish sufficiency in 2028 not possible if…

Moreover, the Pamalakaya leader said that the target of making the country 100 percent fish-sufficient by 2028 would not be realized if there were no changes in government policies.

"It will not happen if the program and policies of the previous administration are maintained and continued by the new Marcos regime,” stressed Hicap, citing as an example that the continued reclamation project in Manila de Bay has affected some fishermen's livelihoods.

"We have destroyed the marine mangrove areas and other marine ecosystems of Manila Bay," he said. "Let's estimate that according to the PRA (Philippine Reclamation Authority) right now there are 187 reclamation projects in the country, 20 in Manila Bay. That's a lot; thousands of hectares will be dumped in coastal areas."

Hicap stressed: "Importation is also not a solution, because what you are helping are the countries that import, you will kill the local industry, especially the small fishermen who cannot compete."

In January, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu was keen on reviving Laguna de Bay to maximize its aquaculture potential by securing bigger fish harvests and making its prices dip at a lower cost.

According to the Laguna Lake Development Authority, over one thousand hectares of unutilized areas of Laguna Lake will be opened to cater to those who are willing and interested in engaging in the aquaculture business.

Hicap appealed to the government that, in aquaculture expansion, small and municipal fisherfolk also must benefit, rather than the big private corporations.

He said that at present, approximately 60 percent of the Laguna Lake is occupied with feeding fish cages for private corporations.

"Our fishermen become isolated in these ways; if such policies are implemented, the [targets] will not be met by 2028. That's still export-oriented, import-dependent."

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources earlier set its target of making the Philippines 100 percent food-fish-sufficient by 2028.

To achieve this target by the end of Marcos's administration, BFAR said it would improve fisheries production through increased productivity and reduced post-harvest losses of fish and fishery products.

Moreover, the government also aims to reduce poverty within five years in the fisheries sector, or ‘bringing the poverty incidence to 26 percent by 2028.’