• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Senator Francis Pangilinan has called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to immediately clarify and address the United States import ban on Philippine blue swimming crab products, warning of its potential impact on thousands of Filipino fisherfolk and workers.
In a letter dated addressed to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Pangilinan sought a comprehensive briefing on the US National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) decision denying the Philippines a comparability finding under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
The senator said the denial on the Philippine blue swimming crab exports to the US is affecting products sourced from gillnet and pot/trap fisheries.
Pangilinan noted that while Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka secured comparability findings from the NMFS, the Philippines was denied due to several compliance gaps. These include insufficient reporting on marine mammal mortality and injuries, limitations in dockside monitoring in the Visayan Sea and Guimaras Strait, and the need for stronger bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures.
The senator expressed concern that the restriction could severely affect the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk, processors, exporters and workers in the blue swimming crab industry, including those in Bacolod City and other coastal communities.
In his letter, Pangilinan asked the DA to provide the official status of the NMFS determination, the specific grounds for the denial, actions already undertaken by the DA and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), immediate remedial measures being pursued, and government assistance for affected stakeholders.
He also urged the DA to identify the scientific, regulatory and institutional benchmarks needed for the Philippines to secure a comparability finding similar to those granted to neighboring countries.
Citing the time-sensitive nature of the issue, Pangilinan called on the DA to exhaust all available administrative and diplomatic measures to preserve or restore Philippine access to the U.S. market for blue swimming crab products. | GPB
