THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued supplemental guidelines for the allocation and distribution of 60,000 metric tons (MT) of imported frozen small pelagic fish to augment domestic supply and stabilize prices during the upcoming closed fishing season.
Pelagic fish are species that live and feed in the open water column of oceans, seas, or lakes, away from the shoreline and the seabed.
An off-and-closed fishing season is a legal ban that prohibits catching certain fish types in designated water areas during specific months to allow adult fish to lay eggs and for young fish to grow.
Under Department Circular 47, Series of 2026 — signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Sept. 2 and posted on the DA website Thursday — 50,000 MT of pelagic fish will be allocated for wet markets and 10,000 MT for the Kadiwa ng Pangulo Program.
The volume forms part of the 250,000-MT fish importation authorized under the 2026 Certificate of Necessity to Import (CNI) issued in March. Tiu Laurel had earlier moved the arrival of the imports to October.
The DA said the supplemental rules are intended to ensure the “orderly, transparent and efficient” implementation of the import program during the off-and-closed fishing season.
Importation opens Sept. 14, while the deadline for the issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) is Dec. 15.
Of the volume available to qualified importers, 90 percent will be allocated to the commercial fishing sector based on three-year landing performance, while the remaining 10 percent will go to qualified fisheries cooperatives.
Commercial operators that fail to submit three-year landing records certified by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority will not be allowed to apply.
Entities with pending cases or violations involving food safety and trade regulations will also be disqualified.
Each SPSIC will be valid for 60 days. Shipments loaded at the country of origin before the issuance of the corresponding clearance will be subject to confiscation, the DA said.
Imported fish must also be stored exclusively in cold storage warehouses licensed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The SPSIC is required to ensure that imported agricultural and fishery products comply with the country’s sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.
The broader 2026 CNI covers various fish and seafood products, including small pelagic fish, pollock, anchovies, cod, grouper, squid, shrimp, prawns, crabs, lobsters, clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. Chynna Grace Ong
