The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday inspected several container vans loaded with frozen mackerel illegally imported from China.
The DA in a statement on Wednesday said the operation was conducted by its Inspectorate and Enforcement Office together with the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The group opened three out of 21 container vans of frozen mackerel that arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) earlier this month.
The agency said Pacific Sealand Foods Corp., the importer of the frozen fish, failed to produce a sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance when the shipment of an estimated 567 metric tons (MT) of mackerel was unloaded at the MICP.
“At current market prices, this frozen mackerel shipment is worth P178.5 million,” said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The DA said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will check the food safety of the illegal fish shipment. A report will be out by next week.
DA said fish importers must ensure they source from reputable sources.
The agency earlier this year issued an order allowing the entry of 30,000 MT of pelagic fish species to cover the country’s requirements for the closed fishing season.
The closed fishing season start on November 1 in waters northeast of Palawan and November 15 in the Visayan Seas and Zamboanga Peninsula.
All three areas are spawning grounds for small pelagic fishes like sardines and mackerel.
