To sustain a stable fish supply in the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is considering a possible hike in fish imports should the fishing sector halt operations due to surging fuel prices.

The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) has earlier released the Certificate of Necessity to Import (CNI) for 250,000 metric tons (MT) of fish in February.

In an interview, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. disclosed that the computed volume for all species does not account for the effects of the tensions in the Middle East.

“Kung tumigil ‘yung sector, pwedeng mag-300,000 MT or 350,000 MT, hindi natin alam, depende sa demand (If the sector stops, it could be 300,000 or 350,000 MT, we don’t know, it depends on the demand),” he said on Tuesday.

The DA explained that the target volume will only cover the gap should the situation persist.

Tiu Laurel cited the reported issues with the unloading of tuna in General Santos City.

“Sinasabi nila, wala nang nagbaba. Kausap ko ‘yung association. Sabi ko kung nawala ‘yung volume, i-import niyo para mapagtulungan (They are saying no one’s unloading. I’m in talks with the association. I instructed them to import the lost volume so we can work it out),” he said.

“Kung ano man ‘yung dating volume nila, iyon lang ‘yung i-allow natin na i-import para lang ma-sustain ‘yung market (Whatever their previous volume is, that will be the same volume we will allow to import to sustain the market).”

Once approved, the industry can apply for import permits for the approved species and be allowed entry.

The DA, however, said the consideration is not yet final, but preparations are underway.

Tiu Laurel assured that they are closely monitoring the current fish supply and industry operations amid the energy emergency in the Philippines. (PNA)