DA projects stable fish supply

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday that it is projecting a stable fish supply in the coming months following the department's implementation of necessary regulations to address overfishing and ensure the protection of the country's fish stocks.

"Maganda yung projection natin, dahil ngayon March hanggang June ito ay open fishing season. Tinaon talaga ni Secretary Tiu Laurel, iyong paglabas noong Memorandum Order (MO) No. 14 dito sa open fishing season para hindi maapektuhan iyong supply noong local (Our projection is good, because March to June is the open fishing season. Secretary Tiu Laurel really released Memorandum Order No. 14 here during the open fishing season so that local supply is not affected)," DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in a news forum.

"Yung ipinagbawal sa MO 14 iyong round scad o galunggong, iyong bonito o tulingan, at saka iyong mackerel o alumahan. Pero, may exemption doon. Exempted iyong mackerel doon sa pagbabawal, basta yung darating o yung i-import nila ay papabase doon sa sales na naganap noong last year (Round scad is banned in MO 14, also mackerel. But there is an exemption. Mackerel is exempted from the ban as long as the import will be based on the sales that occurred last year)," de Mesa pointed out.

It was decided to have a 10-percent additional volume to ensure supply flexibility for fish intended for cannery or for mackerel processing, De Mesa said.

The agriculture official also said the stable fish supply in the past months was the result of good fish catch after allowing some period of stock replenishment.

"Siguro epekto na rin noong maganda yung huli natin dahil iyong…mas importante kasi na nakakapahinga yung dagat eh (Maybe it's also an effect when our catch was good because it's more important that the sea can rest)," De Mesa explained as he commended the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for its policies protecting fish stocks.

"Kasi iyong isang isda nangingitlog iyan ng marami eh, kahit 10 to 15 percent lang o one to five percent lang yung mabuhay doon sa mga itlog na yun, malaking bagay kasi milyon yung iniitlog nila eh, so malaking bagay yun para maka-recover iyong ating fishery (Because that's a fish that lays a lot of eggs, even if only 10 to 15 percent or one to five percent of those eggs survive, it's a big deal because they lay million of eggs, so that's a big deal for it to recover)," he noted.

Among the major fish sources in the Philippines include the country’s municipal waters, the Sulu and Celebes Seas, and the Visayan Sea, the DA official said.