Recently, the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines issued 2 regulations related to aquatic products, the main contents of which are as follows:

(1) On April 1, 2024, the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines issued Memorandum Circular No. 14, 2024, after finding that several Sanitary and Phytosanitary import Clearance (SPSIC) for imported agricultural products applied for food production purposes such as canning were illegally imported into farmers' markets, such as frozen sea fish, mackerel and bonito. The Philippine Department of Agriculture has therefore decided to suspend the issuance of SPSIC for canning, processing and corporate buyers in the categories of frozen mackerel, mackerel and bonito, with an exception for frozen mackerel for canning purposes on the basis of the material provided, with an additional 10% buffer for imports based on the previous year's canned product production. It also requires all imported fish to be labeled "for canning purposes only and not for sale or distribution to farmers markets" in clear and legible font, which will take effect 15 days after publication and will remain in effect until revoked in writing;

(2) On April 23, 2024, the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines issued Memorandum Circular No. 17, 2024, establishing guidelines for the implementation of a quota of 25,000 tons of imported aquatic products for sale at farmers' markets in 2024. The regulations set out the conditions for importers who can participate in the application for SPSIC, quota allocation principles, use periods and requirements for submitting import reports to the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), importers should purchase from legitimate suppliers of non-IUU fishing, and strictly comply with laws and regulations and food safety standards, and shall not transfer quotas, which will be effective immediately.