• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine government is stepping up efforts to restore the country’s blue swimming crab exports to the United States, with Cabinet officials expressing confidence that the issue is now receiving top-level attention.
Cabinet Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the concern has already been brought to the attention of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and is being treated as a priority.
“I am sure they are now working on it,” Abalos said in an interview during his visit to Negros Occidental on Friday, July 31.
The issue was also discussed during the recent visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Philippines, where Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. raised the matter in talks with the US official.
Laurel, who also came to Negros Occidental last week, said the United States has agreed to allow the Philippines to reapply for market access after the country strengthens its fisheries management measures.
“They are aware of it, and we were given the opportunity to reapply,” he added.
The Department of Agriculture plans to submit the country’s application by September, with hopes of securing approval before the end of the year.
To meet US requirements, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has issued Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 277, introducing stricter regulations on blue swimming crab harvesting.
The new policy aligns Philippine fisheries management with US marine mammal protection standards following the ban on Philippine blue swimming crab imports due to inadequate protection measures and bycatch monitoring programs.
Among the key provisions of FAO 277 is a 500-meter cap on the aggregate length of gillnets used during fishing operations to reduce the accidental capture of dolphins, marine mammals, and other endangered aquatic species.
BFAR, in coordination with local government units and fisheries law enforcement agencies, will also strengthen enforcement efforts and impose stricter administrative sanctions against violators.
The order also requires a mandatory review every three years to ensure the regulations remain responsive to changing conditions.
Laurel said the strengthened fisheries management measures would help safeguard the country’s P7-billion blue crab industry, which provides livelihoods to thousands of fisherfolk, processors and exporters.
“By embracing better fisheries management, we are protecting our marine resources while ensuring Philippine seafood continues to meet the high standards of premium international markets,” Laurel said.
The US remains the country’s largest export market for blue swimming crab products, accounting for nearly 90 percent of total exports.
Before the import ban, the Philippines shipped around 500,000 pounds of crab meat to the US every month, with major production coming from Bacolod, Iloilo and Cebu. | GPB
