00:00In order to have sufficient supply of fish before the closed fishing season,
00:05the Department of Agriculture allowed the importation of 25,000 metric tons of fish.
00:11But that was threatened by some groups.
00:13And Bernadette Reyes was able to stop it.
00:1525,000 metric tons of fish were allowed by the Agriculture Department to be imported for the wet markets.
00:25According to Memorandum Order 17, small pelagic species such as galunggong, tamban, mackerel, and bonito can be imported.
00:32According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,
00:35this will be prepared for the closed fishing season, which will be implemented from October 1 to December 31.
00:41The issuance of the order was made early because there are times when the arrival of fish is delayed.
00:48This will help stabilize the price during the closed fishing season
00:53because we know that there will be a gap in the supply due to the closure of our primary fishing grounds.
01:02The amount approved is lower now compared to 35,000 metric tons last year.
01:08Now that the fish supply is open during the open fishing season, the price is lower.
01:13Here in the Litex Market in Quezon City, each kilo of tamban is only P40.
01:18But during the closed fishing season, the price of tamban is increasing to reach P140 per kilo.
01:25As for galunggong,
01:27If it's expensive, it's P14. It can reach up to P14 per kilo.
01:30Right now, it's only P14.
01:32The imported ones are cheap.
01:34It's so cheap that I can only get P70.
01:38If there's no catch, there will be a lot of fish.
01:42For my daughter, it's a big help to us because that's all I can afford to buy.
01:49Retailers are hoping for imported fish in the Marikina Public Market during the closed fishing season.
01:55We only catch fish during October and December.
01:59There's no fresh fish during that time.
02:02We only catch fish during the season of P260.
02:04You only catch fish during the season of P240?
02:06Yes, P240.
02:08What's the retail price during that time?
02:10P280.
02:12But for the group of fishermen in Malacaya,
02:15there's no basis for importing fish,
02:17and they will have a negative impact on the local industry.
02:20If we have a shortage of supply,
02:25let's make a program so that we can reduce the possibility of a shortage of supply in our own production.
02:35Fishermen in Sorsogon and Ilocos Norte also agree.
02:39We will lose our fish.
02:41If we buy our fish here, it will be cheaper.
02:44The B4 does not see a negative effect on local fishermen
02:48as the importation of fish is far from being taken care of by the consumers
02:52through sufficient supply at affordable prices.
02:56During the closed fishing season,
02:58first of all, the municipal fisherfolk are not allowed to go fishing.
03:04It is not prohibited for our commercial fishing vessel operators to go fishing during the closed fishing season.
03:14Our aquaculture sector can also be assured that they will have sufficient volume to fill any gap.
03:23For GMA Integrated News, Bernadette Reyes, Nakatuto, 24 Hours.
03:33For GMA Integrated News, Bernadette Reyes, Nakatuto, 24 Hours.
