The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the country imported almost 14,000 metric tons (MT) of galunggong, or round scad, during the closed fishing season to keep the price of the commodity stable in the market.
In a news statement issued on Thursday, BFAR said 13,856.64 MT or about 55 percent of the programmed 25,056.27 MT of galunggong have entered the country since the import program started in November last year.
“The importation of frozen round scad, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, and moonfish for wet markets is consistent with the certificate of necessity to import signed by the DA on November 10 last year and is effective until January 31 this year,” it said.
“The current 13,856.64 MT of imported fish augments the market demand for galunggong, whose supply is expected to be limited due to the annual implementation of the galunggong closed fishing season in the Northeast of Palawan,” it added.
The BFAR pointed out that because of the import program the price of local galunggong has remained stable at P280 per kilogram (kg) while imported stocks fetched between P220 per kg to P240 per kg.
The closed fishing season in the Northeast of Palawan is set to be lifted on February 1st. The government has been implementing the closed fishing season since 2015 to allow fish species to reproduce and grow during their spawning season and ensure sufficient supply in the country.
“Since 2015, the periodic closure of commercial fishing activities in Palawan has continuously yielded significant positive outcomes in the production of galunggong. In 2021, the National Stock Assessment Program [NSAP] recorded an annual catch of 1,146 MT using ring, purse seine, and bagnet—an almost triple increase from the 453.89 MT annual catch logged in 2015,” BFAR said.
BFAR added that the proportion of spawners also grew since the closed fishing season policy was implemented from 15 percent to 44 percent in 2021. The percentage of round scad catch in Palawan rose from 15 percent in 2015 to 44 percent in 2021 as well.
“The Philippine Statistics Authority and the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) reported an increasing trend in the volume of unloading of round scad from Palawan waters from 2016 to 2022,” it said.
“The province of Palawan is a major supplier of galunggong in Metro Manila with 89 percent of galunggong catch landed at Navotas Fishport Complex in 2022,” it added. -30-
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos