Senatorial Aspirant and Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Antique Rep. Loren Legarda strongly opposed the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) planned importation of 60,000 metric tons of fish.
The former senator said the DA should first address claims that there is sufficient supply from the previous importations still unsold.
Legarda said more importation will further marginalize the small-scale fishers and coastal communities already vulnerable to a host of “social and environmental changes.”
“These policy decisions that tend to further bring down our most marginalized sectors must be based on evidence,” said Legarda in a statement.
“Merely blaming Odette and not comparing other measures like faster provision of small boats and safety nets for the marginalized is not convincing.”
DA Secretary William Dar previously announced that the country needed more than 800,000 MT of fish to meet the demand for the first quarter of 2022 due to the damage caused by Typhoon Odette and the closed fishing season implemented by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) annually every year.
Legarda, who is also running for senator this coming May, added that since the Philippines is rich in resources, the government must come up with policies that will ensure food security for all rather than used favor importers and big corporations, which is harmful to the entire industry.
Loren Legarda File Photo
“I urge the government and the private sector to rapidly mobilize and implement support mechanisms for small-scale fishers, coastal fishing communities, and associated people’s organizations,” said Legarda.
The former senator also calls for the government to address the factors that affect the dwindling supply of fish in coastal villages, such as coastal erosion, mangrove destruction, the endangered species trade, and overfishing.
“Rather than using government resources to import more fish, why don’t we use these resources to ensure marine resource sustainability and livelihood security in coastal communities? Why not safeguard pollution control and environmental conservation through strict enforcement of marine fisheries laws?” She said.
Legarda also said the government should support services to improve the economic conditions of coastal fishing communities.
An estimated 800,000 fishermen are small-scale fishers using traditional, low-cost techniques, notably net fishing from small boats and the fish corral.
“And yet, we fail to give the most support to small-scale fisheries where livelihoods are under most immediate pressure from marine resource competition and degradation,” Legarda said.
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