Suppliers urged: Flood Bohol market with fish

A fish vendor arranges her fish products in her stall at the Mandaue wet market. CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO

BFAR-7 says prices of Cebu, Bohol fish products up

Prices of fish products in Cebu have increased from P10 to P20 per kilo but not as high as in Bohol where the prices of fish products went up to as high as P70 to P120 per kilo.

Alma Saavedra, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR-7) information officer, said that the increase in prices in Cebu are due to the weather, the increase in prices of gasoline, and overfishing.

For Bohol, Saavedra said the increase in fish prices there are caused by lesser supply of fish reaching the local market there.

Saavedra assured that there are enough supply of fish products in Cebu as compared to Bohol province where price increase of fish products there range from P70 to P120 per kilo.

“The weather really affects the supply of fish in the market, which triggered traders to increase,” said Saavedra, who was referring to the habagat.

Other factors which contributed to the increase of fish prices in Cebu are the increase of the price of gasoline and overfishing in municipal waters, wherein fisherfolks also catches small fishes which slowly affects its population.

Saavedra, however, said that because Zamboanga and Tacloban are also supplying fish in Cebu, it helps mitigate its prices in the market.

However, for Bohol, BFAR-7 is calling on fish suppliers from other regions to sell their fish catch ithere to help bring down the prices of fish products.

She said that flooding the Bohol market with supplies of fish would help bring down the prices of fish products there.

Last August 16 to 17, DA-7 and BFAR-7 has launched TienDA in Tagbilaran, Bohol, after several residents in Bohol province complained of the high prices of fish products there due to the shortage of fish supply.

TienDA is a facilitated market matching where dealers and fish suppliers can connect and finalize arrangements of trade support.

Saavedra said that the price difference of fish in Cebu and Bohol range from P70 to P120 per kilo.

She said that the shortage of fish supply in Bohol was due to Bohol fishermen selling their catch directly to buyers in Cebu or directly to resort and restaurant operators in Bohol.

“They’ve experienced shortage on supply, because fisher folk (in Bohol) find good market in Cebu. Buyers are even buying their catch while they are still in the middle of the sea,” she said.

Most of the local catch as well where brought to different resorts and hotels in Tagbilaran and Panglao, due to influx of tourists in these areas.

“So their catch becomes expensive in the local market,” he said, adding that the weather also affects the price of fish in the market.

Yesterday, BFAR-7 has brought more than five tons of bangus in Tagbilaran, which they are selling for more affordable price.

Saavedra said that their suppliers are selling it for around P110 per kilo while their partner traders are just selling it for P130 per kilo.

During the launching of TienDA, Saavedra revealed that they were able to dispose more than ten tons of fish products such as kitong, pompano, talakitok, and other seafood’s like guso and lato.

She said that regions 8 and 10 where the ones supplying them fish products.

Aside from establishing Tienda in Bohol, BFAR-7 also launched yesterday the Fish Market on Wheels, where their suppliers are visiting the interior municipalities in Bohol to sell fish.

“We’ve sold around 20 banyeras of fish. We’ve made a stop in each municipality while traveling in Tubigon, Inabanga, and Ubay,” Saavedra added.