By CESAR JOLITO III
The United States’ ban on Philippine blue crab imports is expected to deal a major blow to Negros Occidental’s E.B. Magalona town, one of the country’s key seafood export industries, putting billions of pesos in revenue and thousands of livelihoods at risk.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson described the US ban on blue crab exports, which took effect yesterday, as a significant setback for the province’s economy, noting that the loss of the American market creates a substantial gap in earnings for fishermen, traders, processors, and other workers in the supply chain.
Industry representatives have already appealed to the provincial government for assistance.
Despite the expected economic losses, local consumers may experience one immediate benefit.
With export demand expected to decline sharply, E.B. Magalona Mayor Matthew Malacon said blue crab prices in local markets could drop from the current P350 to P400 per kilogram to around P150 to P200 per kilogram, making the seafood more affordable for households.
Alfonso Gamboa, former E.B. Magalona mayor and blue crab exporter, said that the ban is projected to affect an industry valued at approximately P6 billion to P7 billion annually, with around 90 percent of Philippine blue crab exports traditionally destined for the US market.
As one of the country’s largest blue crab-producing provinces, Negros Occidental is expected to bear a significant share of the economic impact.
Gamboa said the restriction threatens the livelihoods of an estimated 10,000 fishermen and 5,000 crab meat pickers who depend on the industry for their income.
Most of the country’s blue crabs are harvested from the Visayan Sea, making producers and workers in Negros, Panay, Cebu, Bicol, and Northern Mindanao particularly vulnerable to the economic impact.
Gamboa said the Philippines is currently the only country in Asia affected by the US regulation.
Although alternative export markets such as China and member countries of the European Union remain available, he noted that their demand is significantly smaller than that of the United States and cannot fully absorb the country’s blue crab production.
Gamboa also pointed to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources under the Department of Agriculture as the agency responsible for addressing the compliance issues and working toward the restoration of Philippine blue crab exports to the US market.
E.B. Magalona Vice Mayor Marvin Malacon said 500 to 600 local crab meat pickers are facing immediate job uncertainty as processing plants dependent on exports lose access to their largest market.
Malacon said the workers rely heavily on export-oriented operations for their daily income, prompting local officials led by the mayor to discuss the allocation of funds for alternative livelihood programs to help affected families.
Industry stakeholders also warned that finding replacement markets will be difficult.
While exports to China and the European Union remain possible, they are not large enough to absorb the country’s average monthly production of 500,000 pounds of crab meat, leaving producers with limited options./CCJ, WDJ