After the Department of Agriculture (DA) suspended the importation of fish, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced on Thursday, April 4, that it is closely monitoring the prices of canned fish products.
 
The agriculture department had earlier issued Memorandum Order No. 14 which halts the importation of frozen galunggong or round scad, tulingan or bonito, and alumahan or mackerel.
 
Citing reports that such imports are being diverted to wet markets, the agency has suspended the issuance of import clearances for such fishery products intended solely for canning and processing and for institutional buyers catering to the requirements of hotels and restaurants.
 
“So far wala naman kaming naririnig na may risk of supply issue related to sardines and mackerel.  We will monitor it very closely,” DTI Undersecretary for Communications Jose Edgardo “Ed” Sunico said on the sidelines of the Food Security Cluster Communications Workshop in Nueva Ecija.
 
The DTI official said the possible impact of the DA memorandum on the prices of canned fish products will be tackled during the meeting of the National Price Coordination Council this month.
 
“’Yung (The) National Price Coordination Council will meet this month. As you know, inter-agency 'yan and the private sector is also part of that council and ang end-goal niyan is to recommend to the President how to stabilize prices (As you know, that’s inter-agency and the private sector is also part of that council and ang end-goal niyan (the end-goal of that) is to recommend to the President how to stabilize prices),” he said.
 
However, Sunico did not confirm or deny if the DTI was consulted by the agriculture department before issuing the memorandum. 

Laurel defends memo

During a televised briefing on Thursday, April 4, DA Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. noted that canners can still import mackerel, but it would be based on their Value Added Tax (VAT) sales.

The memorandum stated that importation of mackerel for canning purposes is allowed “provided that, the volume thereof shall be based on the vatable sales of the canned product from the previous year with additional ten percent (10%) of said sales for buffer.”

Should canners redirect their mackerel imports, Laurel said that they would face a shortage.

“Pero kung ang vat sales nila says ganito ang kanilang nabentang mackerel at may equivalent tonnage, they can still import tapos nagdagdag pa nga ako ng 10 percent (But if their VAT sales says this is the mackerel they sold and has an equivalent tonnage, they can still import then I even added 10 percent),” the DA chief said.

“Technically, they should be able to import 10 percent more of what they are using now so I don’t see any reason kung bakit sila nag-fe-fear na maso-short sila eh (why they fear that they will fall short),” he went on.

‘Suspension order not enough’
 
For the progressive fishing group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the DA’s suspension of the fish importations is not enough to address the proliferation of fish products at wet markets.
 
The agriculture department, according to the fishers’ group, must hold accountable importers who blatantly violate importation policy.

“Hindi sapat na ipinatigil lamang ng Department of Agriculture ang importasyon ng ilang klaseng isda. Dapat papanagutin ang mga importer na tahasang lumabag sa itinakdang patakaran sa pag-aangkat (It is not enough for the Department of Agriculture to just suspend fish importations. Importers violating the import policy must be held accountable),” the Pamalakaya said.

Laurel earlier said that the agency will go after importers involved in illegal activities. He said the DA will not go after wet market vendors, saying there will be no crackdown in the market level.

Per the DA chief, approximately 90,000 to 100,000 tons of round scad, mackerel, and bonito are diverted annually.