Retail price of galunggong down by P50/kilo

MANILA, Philippines — The retail price of round scad or galunggong has gone down by P50 per kilo with the peak fishing season, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said yesterday.

In a radio interview, BFAR spokesperson Nazario Briguera said commercial fishers are allowed to operate in the Visayan Sea, Zamboanga peninsula and Palawan after the closed fishing season ended on Feb. 15.

“At present, all areas are open after we implemented a closed fishing season. Visayan Sea, Zamboanga peninsula and then northeastern Palawan for galunggong fishing, all these areas are open,” Briguera said.

He pointed out that the closed fishing season was necessary as the spawning period of mature sardines peaks during the months of October to January.

“If you go to the markets, you can see an increase in the unloading of tamban as the closed fishing season ended in Zamboanga peninsula. This is good news… Fish is cheaper now. In fact, galunggong (prices) declined by P50 compared to the closed fishing season,” Briguera said.

He noted that the movement in the retail prices of fish is only expected during the entire observance of Holy Week as many Catholics avoid meat.

“Based on our experience on the law of supply and demand, if the demand is high, there is an increase in the retail prices but it should only happen during the Holy Week itself. What is important is we have sufficient supply,” he added.

According to Briguera, the country only imports fish when there is a fishing ban. The volume of fish import this year is 29 percent more compared to the 25,000 metric tons allowed by the DA in 2022.

“The volume (of imported fish) is only limited, based on the supply gap,” he added.