• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has expressed optimism that the United States will reopen its market to Philippine blue swimming crab exports after the government submits updated compliance documents addressing concerns raised under its marine mammal protection regulations.
In an interview in Talisay City on Friday, July 24, Laurel said they have already raised the issue with top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton, during a recent meeting in Malacañang with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We talked with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US Ambassador to the Philippines at Malacañang. They are aware of it,” Laurel said.
He said the US government has allowed the Philippines to appeal and submit a new application, with the next compliance documents scheduled for submission in September.
“They allowed us to make an appeal or re-apply as soon as possible. We have new applications to submit, the latest of which is in September. Hopefully, by that time, everything will be okay,” Laurel said.
The Agriculture chief said he remains confident that the US market will eventually reopen as the Philippines implements stronger conservation measures to protect marine mammals, particularly dolphins.
“We are very confident it will reopen because we understand the need to protect endangered dolphins,” Laurel said.
Among the corrective measures adopted by the Department of Agriculture is a new policy reducing the maximum allowable length of gill nets in affected fishing grounds from two kilometers to 500 meters.
Laurel also said an inter-agency task force has been created to monitor dolphin habitats and ensure compliance with marine mammal protection requirements.
The US banned imports of Philippine blue swimming crab products on June 11, 2026, after the US National Marine Fisheries Service determined that the country failed to provide adequate documentation on marine mammal by catch monitoring and protection programs required under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The restriction has severely affected the Philippine crab industry, which exports about 500,000 pounds of crab meat to the US every month.
Around 90 percent of Philippine blue swimming crab exports, valued at an estimated $50 million to $60 million annually, are shipped to the US market.
Major production areas include the Visayan Sea, Guimaras Strait, San Miguel Bay, Masbate, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, with processing facilities located in Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu and other coastal communities.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez stressed that the Philippines must fully comply with all US requirements before the import ban can be lifted.
Benitez made the statement during a public hearing on the proposed Negros Occidental Blue Swimming Crab Sustainability and Management Ordinance of 2026 held at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall on Friday.
He said adherence to international standards is crucial to restoring access to the lucrative US market while safeguarding the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk and workers dependent on the crab industry.
Benitez added that he will file a House resolution supporting measures to address the concerns raised by US authorities and strengthen the country’s compliance with export requirements.
The proposed provincial ordinance seeks to establish sustainable management measures for blue swimming crab resources, promote responsible fishing practices and ensure the long-term viability of the industry while supporting efforts to regain access to international export markets.
The ban also cut off E.B. Magalona, widely recognized as the “blue crab capital” of Negros Occidental, from its primary international market.
Mayor Matthew Louis Malacon appealed to the Municipal Council to grant temporary tax relief or a tax holiday to qualified crab pickers, fisherfolk and businesses directly affected by the US import ban.
To cushion the impact on the municipality’s estimated 2,500 residents dependent on the crab industry, Malacon earlier issued an executive order creating the Municipal Crab Industry Task Force. | GPB
