DA Chief approves fish import guidelines to stabilize supply and prices

DAVAO CITY – Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has approved new guidelines for importing up to 25,000 metric tons of various fish and seafood starting March 2025 to ensure market stability and prevent price surges.

The initiative aims to supplement the domestic supply while ensuring that local fishermen remain unaffected.

“This will also add variety in the market, especially for the food service industry, since most of the fish and marine products covered by this importation are not locally caught,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel. “This should not affect local fishermen and help ease business operations.”

The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) set the 25,000-metric-ton import ceiling as part of an experimental strategy to curb inflation, stabilize prices, and enhance food security.

To measure its effectiveness, NFARMC has mandated an impact analysis to assess whether the policy improves nutrition diversity, prevents price volatility, and ensures a sufficient seafood supply.

Under the approved guidelines, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will:

Issue sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances valid for 45 days.

Allow only BFAR-accredited cold storage facilities to handle imported seafood.

Importer Eligibility: Must have at least one year of accreditation with prior experience in seafood importation. Importers under investigation for food safety violations, lacking complete documentary requirements, or without Bureau of Customs accreditation at the start of the import period will be excluded.

The 25,000-metric-ton importation ceiling includes a wide range of seafood, such as:

Premium fish species: Alaskan pollock, barramundi, bluefin tuna, Chilean seabass, cod, croaker, eel, emperor fish, flounder, grouper, hake, halibut, hamachi, hoki, marlin, moonfish, pangasius, red snapper, salmon, sea bream, silverfish, swordfish, tuna by-products, and yellowtail sole.

Shellfish and crustaceans: Clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, soft and hardshell crabs, and lobsters.

Other seafood products include capelin, cobia, fish meat, gindara, mullet, octopus, oil fish, sardines, smelt, and squid.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) expects this measure to enhance food security, stabilize prices, and offer greater variety in the market, benefiting both consumers and the food service industry.