FISH PRICE MONITORING. Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Central Visayas Fisheries Production and Support Services Division officer-in-charge Florencio Aparri checks the prices of fish at the Pasil Fish Market in Cebu City. BFAR-7 regional director, Dr. Allan Poquita, has urged local government units to include in their monitoring the fishermen and fish vendors affected by the enhanced community quarantine. (Photo courtesy of BFAR-7 Information Office)
CEBU CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Central Visayas has urged local government units (LGU) to support the fishermen and fish traders affected by the community quarantine measures amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Dr. Allan Poquita, BFAR-7 regional director, said the fishery industry has been crippled by the pandemic following the imposition of travel and movement restrictions in different localities in the region.
“Some traders could hardly pass through borders because of the enhanced community quarantine. We fully support the measures imposed by the local government units but we are also asking their help to address the plight of our fishery stakeholders,” he said.
Poquita said local officials should exempt fish dealers and traders from the travel restriction and guarantee their unimpeded access in going to and from the fish landing centers.
There are two known fish landing centers in Cebu province - one in Barangay Pasil here and the other in the northern city of Danao.
Poquita said BFAR-7 is issuing food passes to suppliers and truckers to get through checkpoints to ensure unhampered movement of marine cargoes, fishery inputs and other food products.
He said LGUs, through their Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), should facilitate the transport of fish products from the landing centers to their fish markets to ensure availability of fish commodities in their locality.
Poquita said local officials can also buy fish products in their markets to be distributed to households while the enhanced community quarantine is still in effect.
Setting up an accessible mini-fish market would also help marginal fishermen sell their catch, he added.
He said the regional office is seeking help from the LGUs in monitoring the plight of fishermen and fish vendors during the Covid-19 crisis.
Vendors vented their concerns during BFAR-7’s regular price monitoring activities, Poquita said. These included slowing down of fish trading, travel restrictions and being forced to lower the prices.
Poquita said BFAR-commissioned enumerators also relayed that local marginal fishers are also experiencing fewer buyers as people are afraid of going out of their households. Some, he said, have relied on the goods they have stored.
Poquita said LGUs can always initiate their own protocols or policies to safeguard the well-being of the people but without sacrificing the livelihood of local fishermen. (PNA)
