AN official of the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has no clear explanation yet on why it allowed the importation of fish.
The group said the DA has not yet provided a clear basis why it approved the importation of 60,000 metric tons of fish last month.
The DA also did not sit down anymore with the NFARMC, which it is obligated to consult before deciding to allow the importation of fish.
This was the statement of Professor Nathaniel Añasco, a professor from the University of the Philippines – Visayas and a representative of the academe at the NFARMC.
In an interview over the radio, Añasco said it was the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that met with the NFARMC last January 13.
After the six-hour meeting, the NFARMC members were unanimous in stressing with the BFAR that there was no need to import fish since there were still about 45,000 metric tons of imported fish in cold storage facilities, and more will arrive based on the import permits issued last year.
But on January 18, NFARMC only learned of the decision to proceed with the fish importation when DA Secretary William Dar made the announcement during a news conference.
Añasco said they wished the DA sat down again with them after their recommendation was set aside to discuss the matter and probably come up with a compromise, if needed.
in interviews, the DA said it decided to import fish, particularly “galunggong” and other fish types, to supplement the lack of fish supply due to the effects of the recent typhoon.