Fish vendors blamed the bad weather for the increase of prices of marine products, aside from the red alert that limited the supply and market of shellfish.
Consumers noted the increase since Monday at the central public market in Tagbilaran City which is the main wet market of destination of fish supply from the towns.
According to fish vendors, fish traders increased the prices of fish as the fishermen also demanded higher prices because the bad weather made it difficult for them to venture into the sea to catch fish.
The limited supply of fish reaching the market prompted the fish vendors to increase the prices.
Aside from the low supply, there have also been fewer fish vendors this time.
The price of Tamarong increased from P160 to P200 per kilo.
As a result, many consumers opted to buy pork, beef and chicken which prices remained at the usual range.
Prices of pork remained at the average of P190-P200 per kilo, beef at P200 per kilo, dressed broiler chicken at P140 per kilo and dressed native chicken at P270 per kilo.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist continues to field the provincial price monitoring team to record the price movement of fish and livestock to be able to come up with contingency plans that could be applied in the future to cushion against the impact of bad weather condition.
Meanwhile, the Bureau on Fisheries and Aquatic Resources continues collecting batches of samples of shellfish and other bivalve marine products from the seawaters of Dauis and the nearby Tagbilaran Bay.
BFAR-Bohol in charge, Leo Bongalos, said they have to make sure red tide contamination is cleared before lifting the alert.
BFAR advised consumers who missed eating shellfish and other bivalve marine products to buy those harvested from areas without red tide, but not from Dauis and Tagbilaran.
Samples collected from red-tide affected areas had been submitted to the laboratory to determine presence of red tide organisms.
BFAR explained that fish and crabs are still safe to eat as long as they are cleaned thoroughly wherein their intestines would be completely be taken out before they are cooked.
This is considering that the red tide organisms lodge in the intestines of fish or crabs that they might take in.
It can be noted that fish vendors already complained of decreased sales, since many consumers believe all types of fish are prone to intake of red tide organisms.
Wet market vendors in Tagbilaran noted decreased income having been limited to selling marine products that are safe from red tide such as fish and crabs for more than a month already since BFAR hoisted the red tide alert.
Even sea urchins are no longer eaten fresh.
Since fisherfolk’s income have been limited because of the red tide alert, Dauis Mayor Miriam Sumaylo said the municipal government continued with the assistance to the affected sector.
Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell Yap also said the city government had distributed food packs and other assistance to affected fisherfolk until they could fully resume to their usual livelihood when BFAR would lift the red tide alert.