The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Sunday chided the Department of Agriculture (DA) anew for its plan to import 60,000 metric tons (MT) of fish. “When will DA Secretary [William] Dar ever learn that flooding the local market with imported fish does more damage than good to our struggling food industry? We never fail to remind the agriculture department that importation is not the solution to fish shortage which is artificial in essence,” Pamalakaya National Chairman Fernando Hicap said in a statement. The group noted that the DA recently approved the purchase of 60,000 MT of imported small pelagic fishes like galunggong (round scad), mackerel, and bonito to augment the shortage caused by the upcoming “closed fishing season” in the country’s major fishing grounds in the last quarter of the year.

Mayuga, J. L. (2021, August 30). Group criticizes DA's fish import policy. Business Mirror, p. A8.