MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has tightened regulations governing the Philippine blue swimming crab, locally known as alimasag, in a bid to regain access to the crucial United States market.
A salient feature of Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 277 is setting a 500-meter limit on the length of gillnets used during fishing operations to reduce the accidental catch of protected marine species.
READ: DA seeks to restore US market access for local blue crab
“Studies have shown the limit significantly reduces the incidental capture of marine mammals and other protected, threatened, and endangered species without sacrificing fishing efficiency,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The newly issued FAO also aims to strengthen enforcement efforts in coordination with local government units and fisheries law enforcement agencies and impose sanctions for violators. BFAR will review the measures every three years to ensure they remain effective.
“This is a critical step toward restoring our access to the US, an important market for Philippine blue swimming crabs,” Agriculture Undersecretary Drusila Esther Bayate said.
The US accounts for 90 percent of Philippine blue swimming crab exports, generating billions of pesos in revenues.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the latest order strikes a balance between protecting the environment and gaining the industry’s long-term growth.
“Our blue swimming crab industry supports thousands of fisherfolk, processors, exporters, and their families. By embracing better fisheries management, we are protecting our marine resources while ensuring Philippine seafood continues to meet the high standards of premium international markets,” Tiu Laurel said.
“Sustainability is no longer just an environmental objective. It is a business imperative,” he added.
BFAR National Director Elizer Salilig said the active collaboration between the government and industry players is critical in protecting “our marine resources while securing livelihoods and maintaining access to global markets.”
BFAR said it developed the policy after discussions with stakeholders to meet US Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements. The US law requires exporting countries to implement measures that minimize incidental killing and serious injury of marine mammals in commercial fisheries.
“The order comes as seafood exporters face increasingly stringent sustainability requirements from overseas buyers, particularly the US,” according to the DA.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service announced in May that they may ban imports from Philippine swimming crab fisheries.
According to the American agencies, the Philippines still lacks requirements for reporting marine mammal mortalities and serious injuries and for creating a bycatch monitoring program.
“The Philippines has also not demonstrated that bycatch mitigation measures that may be utilized in the fisheries are effective at preventing bycatch, or at the very least capable of ensuring bycatch limits for Irrawaddy dolphins are not exceeded in the blue swimming crab gillnet and pot/trap fisheries,” it added.