THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has authorized the importation of 25,000 metric tons (MT) of various frozen fish and seafood over the next three months to prevent potential price surges, particularly in the food service industry.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order No. 12 outlining the guidelines for importing 40 types of fish and fishery or aquatic products from March 1 to May 30, 2025.
“This will also add variety in the market, especially for the food service industry, since fish and marine species covered by this importation are mostly fish and marine products not caught locally,” said Tiu Laurel in a statement, a day after signing the memo.
“This should not affect local fishermen and should help in the ease of doing business,” added Tiu Laurel, without providing further details.
The food service industry includes restaurants, bars, fast food outlets, caterers, and other businesses that sell or serve food and beverages to the general public.
The fish and seafood covered by the DA memo include Alaskan pollock, barramundi, bluefin tuna, capelin, Chilean Seabass, clams, cobia, cod/black cod, croaker, eel, emperor, fish meat, flounder, gindara, grouper, hake, halibut, hamachi, hoki, and lobster.
The list also includes marlin, moonfish, mussels (black, green-lipped, blue), mullet, octopus, oilfish, oyster, pangasius, red snapper, salmon, sardines, scallops, sea bream, silverfish/silver sillago, smelt, soft and hardshell crabs, squid, swordfish, tuna by-products, and yellowtail sole.
The agency will initially allocate 28,000 MT to each accredited or registered importer, while the remaining volume will be distributed to qualified importers on a first-come, first-served basis.
“The allocation for subsequent importations shall be based on the actual number of qualified importers who complied within the seven working days period,” the DA stated.
The memo did not specify measures or penalties to ensure that imported marine products do not compete with the local seafood industry, particularly fish commonly found in wet markets.
All sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) issued under the order will be valid for 45 days from the issuance date. Any unused SPSICs will be automatically considered canceled and surrendered to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Imported fish or seafood must be stored in BFAR-accredited cold storage facilities.
The importation is open to importers accredited for at least one year prior to the issuance of the order and those who participated in previous importations.
“Those with pending cases or under investigation for violating food safety or importation rules, incomplete documentary requirements, or without Bureau of Customs accreditation at the start of the importation period are excluded,” according to the order.
The DA, the policymaking body in the fisheries sector, stated that the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council set this import ceiling late last year to address inflation concerns and improve the allocation of import volumes for institutional buyers and wet markets.
