Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) officials and senior staff participated in the 1st NATIONAL GALUNGGONG SUMMIT which was organized by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on January 24 and 25, 2019 with the theme “Producksyon ng Galunggong na Isda ng Masa, Paunlarin Gamit ang Siyensya”. The two-day summit gathered key stakeholders of the galunggong fisheries supply chain, fisherfolk representatives, concerned national government agencies, local government units, non-government organizations and science experts.
The summit aims to generate inputs for the creation of a five-year science-based National Management Plan for Galunggong and likewise address the critical issues on the declining catch and production of galunggong and its related species.
Galunggong is one of the country’s economically-important fish species, and is one of the major target species in the Philippine fisheries sector. The industry alone generates livelihood and income to thousands of fishermen and a source of affordable fish protein for millions of Filipinos.
Relatively, the DA-BFAR had already initiated measures to counter and prevent galunggong stocks from further falling off, by enacting conservation measures through the establishment of closed seasons for galunggong and small pelagic species in Northeastern Palawan from November 01 to January 31, and in Davao Gulf from June 01 to August 31 every year.
Likewise, the attendance of the PFDA staff to the Galunggong Summit will enable the agency to effectively take part in the overall strategy to ensure sustained supply of Galunggong, focusing on further improving post-harvest handling that aims to reduce spoilage while at the same time providing support to science-based strategies that will ensure growth and sustained stocks of the species.
(Tess Francisco)