Philippines: DA cracks down on illegal importers of galunggong, mackerel, bonito

Published 2024년 4월 3일

Tridge summary

The Department of Agriculture in the Philippines, under the leadership of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., has halted the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances for certain fish types including galunggong, mackerel, and bonito, due to reports of these imports being illegally sold in wet markets instead of their intended use for canning, processing, or sale to institutional buyers. While mackerel imports for canning are still permitted under stringent conditions, an investigation into the illegal diversion of these fish imports has been initiated. The DA is also working on strengthening its enforcement team to tackle this issue. The suspension aims to protect local fisherfolk and commercial operators from market disruptions during the fishing season, with a focus on fairness and avoiding harm to legitimate businesses throughout the investigative process.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued a memorandum order suspending the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances of galunggong or round scad, mackerel, and bonito after receiving reports that these fish imported for canning, processing, or institutional buyers are being diverted to wet markets. Importation of mackerel for canning purposes, however, may be allowed provided that the volume shall be based on the product sales, subject to value added tax (VAT), from the previous year with additional 10% of the said sales for buffer. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that aside from enforcing these provisions of Department Administrative Order (DAO) 14, series of 2024, the DA will also conduct an investigation on the illegal diversion of fish. "Yes, definitely. Well, I'm from the industry, as you know. Technical. Alam ko lahat ng kalokohan na nangyayari riyan. And of course, I had to study from December until February kung ano 'yung mga ...

Source: Gmanetwork