The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday, announced the extended deadline of the issuance of fish and seafood import permits until the end of June and the beginning of the closed fishing season in Davao Gulf.

In a statement on Tuesday, DA said that the extension is meant to give "importers more time to adjust to new guidelines aimed at easing food inflation and improving allocation efficiency".

This came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directive "to rationalize fish importation in order to stabilize supply and prices for the tourism and high-end food sectors, with the goal of generating more jobs and attracting investment".

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the low supply despite the approved importation of 25, 000 metric tons of fish and seafood is due to the strict importation timelines and source constraints.

“It’s more of a systemic issue than low demand. The timeframes we set were too short, and many of the approved products were out of season in their countries of origin. It was also challenging for some importers to meet requirements tied to larger volume allocations", Laurel said.

The approved list of imports includes a wide range of species such as salmon, cod, tuna, squid, scallops, octopus, and lobster. Sardines are exempted from the import list.

“We allowed sardine imports because it was off-season in some of our local fishing grounds, and sardines are the most affordable fish available to help address inflation concerns", Laurel added.

Meanwhile, DA said in a separate statement that the closed fishing season prohibits fishermen to catch "small pelagic fish species in Davao Gulf using bagnets, ringnets, and fine mesh nets".

"This allows species such as a variety of mackerels (known as karabalyas, hasa-hasa, anduhao, alumahan), round scad (galunggong, moro-moro or borot), and big eye scad (matangbaka) to regenerate and rehabilitate, helping ensure fish production and food security in the long run", it said.

DA said that "Importers accredited under FAO 195 and those registered under FAO 259 are eligible for fish import allocations through the Certificate of Necessity to Import, which permits importation during the closed fishing season. Eligibility is subject to the guidelines in Memorandum Order No. 12, series of 2025"

"FAO 195 covers the importation of fresh, chilled, or frozen fish and aquatic products, while FAO 259 applies specifically to imports for wet markets during the closed season", it added. Marie Manalili/DMS