Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Friday approved guidelines for importing up to 25,000 metric tons of various fish and seafood starting in March to ensure a stable food supply and prevent market price surges.
“This will add variety, particularly for the food service industry, as most of the imported species are not locally caught. It should not affect local fishermen and will help streamline business operations,” Tiu Laurel said.
The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) set the import ceiling late last year as an experimental measure to address inflation and optimize allocation for institutional buyers and wet markets.
The goal is to assess whether a combined import cap can stabilize prices while ensuring adequate supply.
As part of the trial, NFARMC has mandated an impact analysis to determine if the import limit can effectively curb inflation, enhance food security, and diversify nutritional options.
Under the approved guidelines, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will issue sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances valid for 45 days.
Only BFAR-accredited cold storage facilities may store the imported seafood.
Importers must have at least one year of accreditation and prior experience in similar imports.
Those under investigation for food safety violations, with incomplete documentation, or lacking Bureau of Customs accreditation at the start of the importation period will be excluded.
The 25,000-metric-ton import ceiling covers Alaskan pollock, barramundi, bluefin tuna, capelin, Chilean seabass, clams, cobia, cod, croaker, eel, emperor, fish meat, flounder, gindara, grouper, hake, halibut, hamachi, hoki, lobster, marlin, moonfish, mussels, mullet, octopus, oilfish, oysters, pangasius, red snapper, salmon, sardines, scallops, sea bream, silverfish, smelt, soft- and hardshell crabs, squid, swordfish, tuna by-products, and yellowtail sole.