Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar has greenlighted the 60,000-metric ton (MT) importation of small pelagic fishes, such as galunggong, for wet market sale to augment the country’s domestic supply in anticipation of the closed fishing season. Dar said he has approved the issuance of certificate of necessity to import (CNI) “to augment current local fish production, maintain sufficient supply, and make it affordable to consumers.” Dar made the approval following the recommendation of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), in coordination with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and in consultation with the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC), and fishing industry stakeholders.

Arcalas, J. E. Y. (2021, August 28). DA chief okays 60,000-MT fish importation for wet market sale. Business Mirror, p. A3.