Following Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s announcement to import 60,000 metric tons (MT) of small pelagic fish for the first quarter of 2022, Palawan’s fisher folks, especially in the towns of Roxas, Taytay and San Vicente who were greatly affected during Odette’s onslaught were dismayed over DA’s announcement earlier this week.
Benny Magdua, a 59-year-old fisher from Roxas said that the big importation is unfair to the fisherfolks like him especially that his two bancas were totally destroyed during Odette’s landfall in their town last December.
“Parang hindi naman makatarungan para sa amin ‘yun. Sana tulungan kami ng DA para makapagsimula uli, hindi ‘yung parang ididisregard nila kaming mga nabubuhay sa pangingisda dahil marami ang nasiraan ng bangka noong bagyo at may closed season ngayon,” Magdua said.
An agriculture group is urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide small boats and other fishing equipment to fisher folks who’ve been victim of recent Typhoon Odette.
The Samahan ng Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) on Thursday, January 20, appealed to DA to just aid Odette victim-fishers nationwide with fishing equipment for their destroyed boats so they can sail again instead of pushing for more imports.
“Bigyan niyo sila ng bangka para makapangisda sila. Huwag nating sisihin ang bagyong Odette at ‘yung ating closed fishing season para lang gawing dahilan na tayo ay makapag-import,” said SINAG chairperson Rosendo So.
Meanwhile, during the announcement regarding the possible importation of the 60,000 MT of small pelagic fish such as galunggong, sardines and mackerel, Dar cited that the damage caused by Odette on the fisheries sector valued at P3.97 billion as well as the continued rise in food inflation, which he said was the main factors why they are pushing fish importation.
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