The United States has imposed a full ban on Phil­ip­pine blue swim­ming crab imports, a move that puts at risk an industry worth P6 bil­lion to P7 bil­lion annu­ally and endangers the live­li­hoods of thou­sands of fish­er­folk and work­ers across the coun­try. Around 90 per­cent of the Phil­ip­pines’ total blue crab exports are shipped to the US, with Negros Occi­dental serving as one of the top pro­du­cing provinces and account­ing for a large share of the volume. Former EB Magalona mayor Alf­onso “Did­ing” Gam­boa warned that the impact will be felt most severely in West­ern Visayas, where the sec­tor is a major source of income for coastal com­munit­ies.

Adiong, E. Y. (2026, June 13). US ban on PH blue crabs threatens P7B industry. The Manila Times, p. A8.