US crab ban threatens PHP 7 billion, 15,000 jobs

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental has urged national government agencies to immediately undertake all necessary measures to restore market access for Philippine blue swimming crab products to the United States.

In a resolution authored by 3rd District Board Member Hope Marey Depasucat and passed during the regular session on Tuesday, the Provincial Board called on the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to strengthen fisheries compliance programs and protect the livelihoods of thousands of Filipino fishers, crab pickers, and industry workers.

The board expressed deep concern over the closure of the U.S. market to Philippine blue swimming crab products effective June 11 due to the country’s failure to demonstrate compliance with marine mammal conservation and fisheries monitoring requirements.

The resolution said the United States accounts for approximately 90% of Philippine blue swimming crab exports, and the loss of the major market poses serious economic consequences for coastal communities and stakeholders dependent on the industry.

It cited reports that processing facilities have begun reducing operations and workforce requirements due to the anticipated decline in export demand, threatening the employment and income of thousands of workers and their families.

The resolution stressed that Negros Occidental is home to numerous blue swimming crab landing sites, crab-picking stations, fisherfolk organizations, and processing facilities, making the province particularly vulnerable to the adverse economic effects of losing U.S. market access.

It also stated that the Visayan Sea contributes approximately 51% of the country’s blue swimming crab production, making Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental, a critical center of production and economic activity for the industry.

The restriction was not imposed over concerns about product quality, food safety, or sanitary standards, the resolution noted.

It was instead based on the absence of sufficient documentation demonstrating adequate marine mammal bycatch monitoring programs, mandatory reporting systems for marine mammal injuries or mortalities, and effective conservation measures consistent with U.S. regulatory requirements.

The blue swimming crab industry is one of the country’s significant fisheries export sectors, generating substantial export revenues and providing livelihood opportunities to thousands of fishers, crab pickers, processing plant workers, traders, transport providers, and other stakeholders across the value chain.

Depasucat noted the need for immediate and coordinated action among national government agencies, local government units, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs), industry stakeholders, and affected communities to address compliance deficiencies, strengthen fisheries management systems, and facilitate the restoration of access to international markets.

While environmental protection and marine mammal conservation are important objectives that must be pursued, there is likewise an urgent need to protect the welfare and livelihood of affected fisherfolk, workers, and coastal communities, the resolution said.

Former E.B. Magalona Mayor Alfonso Gamboa, president of Saravia Blue Crab Inc., a major blue crab processing company, said the industry is bracing for massive economic losses estimated at PHP 6 billion to PHP 7 billion annually, as well as the displacement of around 10,000 fishermen and an additional 5,000 crab meat pickers in Negros, Panay, Bicol, Samar, Leyte, and parts of Mindanao.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, in a recent media interview, said he plans to sit down with BFAR and various stakeholders to discuss ways to regain the confidence of the United States so it will again accept Philippine crab products.

The ban covers crab and crab products associated with Philippine Fishery IDs 2129 and 2130, which were barred from entering the United States 30 days after the publication of the Federal Register notice denying the fisheries a comparability finding under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The denial capped a contested review process. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration first announced negative findings in September 2025, but the U.S. Court of International Trade stayed the original Jan. 1, 2026, effective date pending reconsideration; on May 11, NOAA granted comparability findings to the swimming crab fisheries of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam while again denying the Philippines.

The U.S. blue swimming crab trade is valued at an estimated USD 50 million to USD 60 million annually, and among the deficiencies cited by U.S. regulators was insufficient proof that mitigation measures protect vulnerable species such as the Irrawaddy dolphin.