In the 1986 snap presidential election that preceded the people power revolt, the steep price of galunggong, considered the poor man’s fish, became one of the rallying issues for the forces ranged against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
This time, with general elections approaching, galunggong or round scad is back at the center of controversy. Citing the damage to fisheries inflicted by Super Typhoon Odette as well as decreased production because the fishing season is closed, the Department of Agriculture has approved the importation of 60,000 metric tons – 60 million kilos – of small pelagic fish including galunggong, sardines and mackerel within the first quarter of the year.
Several senators and a fishers’ group have disputed the shortage, with one lawmaker saying some 35,000 metric tons of fish imported in 2021 have yet to be sold. Agriculture officials insist that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is projecting a fish shortage of up to 119,000 MT in the first three months of the year.
Yesterday, a senator also expressed what marginal fishermen had pointed out in previous government initiatives to import galunggong: the round scad bought from China, they lamented, were likely spawned in Philippine seas but caught in deeper waters where small fishing boats of marginal Filipino fishermen are not authorized to operate.
Dwindling fish catch is one of the consequences of the Duterte administration’s policy of capitulation to Beijing. One senator estimated that the country is losing 300,000 MT of fish annually due to Chinese incursions into the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. The country has seen those massive swarms of large fishing boats backed by Chinese military coast guard ships operating within the Philippines’ EEZ, shooing away or blasting Filipino fishing boats with water cannons, and challenging Philippine military supply boats on their way to Ayungin Shoal.
Consumers want a steady supply of fish at reasonable prices. The low-priced galunggong is a staple in many Filipino households, especially amid the financial difficulties arising from the COVID pandemic. This food need, however, must be balanced with the protection of the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk. Imported competition must not aggravate the impoverishment of small-scale fishing communities.