The Department of Agriculture (DA) will be importing 25,000 metric tons of fish amid the implementation of the closed fishing season this November and will go on until Jan. 31, 2023.
Under Special Order No. 1002 dated Nov. 10 signed by DA Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, the agriculture department is set to import 25 MT of frozen round scad, bigeye scad, mackerel, bonito, and moonfish.
About 80 percent of the import volume is allocated for registered importers of the commercial fishing sector while the remaining 20 percent is for the fisheries associations or cooperatives.
The BFAR is directed to encourage the immediate disposal of imported fish to ensure that “it will not overlap with the local catch by the end of the closed fishing season.”
According to the DA, all SPS Import Clearances (SPSICs) shall be issued to all registered importers on or before Dec. 15, and this would be valid for 45 days from the date it was released.
However, the following importers are disqualified from applying SPSICs:
- those with pending case/s in relation to any food safety or importation rules and regulations
- those who were not able to secure BOC [Bureau of Customs] accreditation and/or clearance at the start of the importation period
- those who were not able to submit complete and updated requirements under FAO 259 within 5 working days from the issuance of this order.
But those who will register within five working days after the order was released shall be qualified by SPSICs provided that they are compliant with the qualification and requirements stipulated in the Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 259.
“The importers shall allow BFAR and PFDA Inspectors, BFAR quarantine officers, and law enforces to conduct inspection and monitoring of the imported fish stored in the BFAR-registered facility and provide the DA-BFAR a weekly summary of stocks inventory for the information of the undersigned,“ the order stated.
