The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) being the highest policy-making advisory and recommendatory body on Philippine fisheries, composed of representatives from municipal fisherfolk, commercial fishery, aquaculture, fish processing sub-sector, academe and NGO, firmly stands on the strong implementation of regulatory policies pertaining to the importation of fresh/chilled/frozen fish and fishery/aquatic products such as the Fisheries Administrative Order 195.
The Council urges the government through the DA-BFAR to continue its measures curbing illegal acts of unauthorized and undocumented imported frozen fish proliferating the wet markets which hurt the local fish industry.
In the effort, however, of enforcing these policies, the NFARMC believes that the focus should be the scrupulous importers who violate the policies and not the small fish vendors at the wet markets. Contrary to some feedback, the implementation of the order is not discriminatory to anyone. In fact, it protects one of the most vulnerable sectors in the country, the marginalized fisherfolk, and the whole industry from competition against imported fish in wet markets.
The NFARMC extends its support to the DA-BFAR in its initiative to revisit the FAO 195 to make it more responsive to the needs of the time. However, it should undergo a process of consultation with the Council as mandated by RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654.