Group blames govt for dwindling fish sales in Metro

MANILA, Philippines – A fisherfolk alliance on Wednesday blamed the government for the dwindling sales of seafood in various fish ports and wet markets in Metro Manila. The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said that instead of assuming the role of a "caregiver," the government has transformed into a mere "scare-giver" against the fishing communities in the country and other affected families of Typhoon "Frank." Pamalakaya chairman Fernando Hicap was quoted in a radio report as scoring the government for coming up with "premature announcements" immediately after toxic pesticide endosulfan was discovered to be loaded in the MV Princess of the Stars. The said vessel capsized two weeks ago off the coast of Romblon's Sibuyan Island after being battered by huge waves triggered by Typhoon "Frank." The government later learned that the passenger ferry was carrying a container van stuffed with 10 metric tons of the said pesticide. The fisherfolk leader said the government should have first waited for "strong evidence" from the investigators showing whether or not the hazardous chemical had leaked, before officials released warnings that could set off a massive food scare. A fish ban that has been placed in Romblon province several days ago has already crippled the livelihood of local fisherfolk there, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap earlier said. At the Navotas City fish port, the report said that while fish vendors had already been forced to slash the prices of their seafood products, the turn out of consumers had still become low in the area. The Pamalakaya urged the government to extend economic relief and other financial assistance to the affected fishing communities, especially those in Mindoro province. The group also assured that the fish they sell come from Palawan, Bataan, and several provinces in Mindanao. Although the group admitted to have sourced seafood from Romblon waters in the past, the Pamalakaya said it only did so sparingly since the province was not a known "natural fishing ground." The group said it is not currently getting fish from Romblon. The latest market survey from the Department of Trade and Industry, released Tuesday night, indicated that prices of fish sold in a number of wet markets in Manila had gone down between P10 and P20. Local officials from Navotas City and Romblon province are set to hold "fish-eating" events to counter the effects of the fish ban and allay public fear that the fish could have been contaminated in the maritime tragedy. Yap had already cited initial findings showing that the waters of Sibuyan Island did not display signs of endosulfan contamination. Likewise, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Reform (BFAR) assured the public that the fish caught by small fishermen in Romblon and nearby provinces are safe to eat. "But the damage has been done. It is spreading like an incurable disease or a national curse crippling the livelihood of small Filipino fishermen in many provinces of Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Central and Western Visayas regions," Hicap said. "After creating an across-the-nation psychological thriller and national panic, the government is now resorting to all kinds of super road show presentation to eliminate the sum of all our people’s fears," he added. - GMANews.TV