Fisheries and aquaculture groups renewed calls for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to lift the import ban on porcine processed animal protein (PAP) from Italy and to issue a local guideline on the raw materials’ use.
The DA in February banned imported pork products from Italy after a wild boar tested positive for the African swine fever (ASF). Local aqua feeds manufacturers source around 70 percent of the 150,000 metric tons (MT) of imported PAP annually from Italy.
The groups said in a position paper should the government allow the entry of PAP from Italy, a guideline must be created on the importation of processed animal proteins from countries affected with ASF to allay the fears of the local pork sector.
The groups suggested the inclusion of a provision which would state only materials classified as Category 3 by the European Union is used in the production of PAP are exported to the country and would be used exclusively in the production of aquafeeds.
Category 3 materials are materials that include parts of animals that are fit for human consumption in a slaughterhouse but are not intended for consumption.
Signatories include the Malalag Bay Fish Cage Operators, Philippine Association of Fish Producers, Taal Lake Aquaculture Alliance, Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations, Inter-Island Deep Sea Fishing Association, Tugon Kabuhayan as well as other aquafeed companies, pond operators, fish cage operators and bangus and tilapia growers.
The groups are also pushing for all aquafeed manufacturers to report to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) their monthly utilization of all imported porcine PAP under the said guideline.
The groups suggested to include in the guideline the creation of a multi-partite monitoring team composed of permanent representatives of the BAI, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Association of Hog Producers, Association of Poultry Producers and the aquaculture representatives of the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council for the conduct of inventory of imported PAP and for monitoring and inspection of facilities where the items were imported.
The position paper said the United States which is also a member of the World Organization for Animal Health is still importing from ASF affected countries such as Italy and Germany but has yet to report any ASF case.
Meanwhile, the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council also supports the call to lift the ban on PAP but said government should develop a domestic standard of rendering byproducts to support the aquaculture feed industry in the medium and long term.
The group said with rendering standards and more rendering plants, agricultural waste can be turned into rendered proteins and lessen dependence on imported raw materials.
