DA assures: PH’s supply of fish to remain stable in open fishing season

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA)  said on Saturday that it expects the country’s supply of fish will remain stable in the following months.

According to DA Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, this is due to the open fishing season declared by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel from March to June.

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“Maganda iyong projection natin, dahil ngayon March hanggang June ito ay open fishing season. Tinaon talaga ni Secretary Tiu-Laurel iyong paglabas noong Memorandum Order No. 14 dito sa open fishing season para hindi maapektuhan iyong supply noong local,” de Mesa said.

(Our projection is good because March until June is open fishing season. Secretary Tiu-Laurel intentionally scheduled the release of Memorandum Order [MO] No. 14 on the open fishing season to not affect the local supply.)

De Mesa explained that fishing for round scad or galunggong, as well as bonito and mackerel, was prohibited in the memorandum so that these fish could populate.

“Iyong ipinagbawal sa MO 14 iyong round scad o galunggong, iyong bonito o tulingan, at saka iyong mackerel o alumahan. Pero, may exemption doon. Exempted iyong mackerel doon sa pagbabawal, basta iyong darating o iyong i-import nila ay papabase doon sa sales na naganap noong last year,” he said.

(What was prohibited from being fished in MO 14 is round scad or galunggong, bonito or tulingan, as well as mackerel or alumahan. But there are exemptions. Mackerel was exempted, as long as those arriving or imported are based on the sales from last year.)

The memorandum was also important to let the fish populate and recover for the fishing season, the official added.

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“Kasi iyong isang isda nangingitlog iyan ng marami eh, kahit 10 to 15 percent lang o 1 to 5 percent lang iyong mabuhay doon sa mga itlog na iyon, malaking bagay kasi milyon iyong iniitlog nila eh, so malaking bagay iyon para maka-recover iyong ating fishery,” he added.

(The fish spawns many, so even if only 10 to 15 percent or one to five percent will survive among those eggs, that is a huge thing because they lay a million eggs, that is a huge thing for our fisheries to recover.)