MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) should shorten the fishing ban enforced in many parts of the country to prevent the need to import fish, Sen. Cynthia Villar said yesterday. “But the DA went ahead with the importation and did not listen to the various association of fisherfolk. She noted that Palawan, where a fishing ban is currently enforced, is a major source of the country’s galunggong supply. She said the closed season conservation initiative “may be lifted faced with the Typhoon Odette impact.”“The fishing ban does not apply to fishing by marginal fisherfolk but to commercial fishing and the fishing gears being used,” Villar said. The DA earlier issued 60,000 MT of CNIS for small pelagic fish in the fourth quarter of 2021 to augment supply during the closed fishing season.

Source: Philippine Star January 25, 2022 08:37 UTC