The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it authorized imports of 60,000 metric tons (MT) of frozen small pelagic fish in the first quarter to augment supply in areas hit by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai). “The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) said we have more than enough supply but based on data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), we have a potential deficit this quarter of about 119,000 MT,” Secretary William D. Dar said in a televised briefing. “We cannot just say that the fishing sector will continue to be normal. They are the number one sub-sector hit by typhoon. The capacity of our fishers to catch will be in question,” Mr. Dar added.

Jocspn, L. M. J. C. (2022, January 19). 60,000 MT of fish imports approved for typhoon-hit areas. BusinessWorld, p. S1/4.