BY JOSEPH JUBELAG
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The local fishing industry here is going to lose some R400 million in revenues once the city’s fish port complex shuts its operation from September 2-5 after several workers of the fish port facility tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The local Inter-Agency Task Force has recommended to the management of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority to shut down the operations at the fish port complex after several COVID-19 cases had been traced to workers at the fish port facility.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the closure of the fish port complex will pave for the conduct of contact-tracing of people of who made close contacts with the COVID-19 patients and the disinfection of the three fish port market areas.
Rosana Contreras, executive director of the SOCCSKSAGEN Fishing Federation and Allied Industries, said more than 8,000 fish traders, fishermen and workers at the fish port will be displaced during the four-day shutdown.
She estimated the revenue losses at P418 million during the closure of one of the country’s major fish port facilities with an average landing of 520 metric tons of fish catch daily.
The city government, however, assured to provide relief assistance to workers and fishermen who will be displaced by the closure of the fish port facility.
Contreras, meantime, said the PFDA management and the Barangay Covid Control Force will draw up safety and health protocols including the setting up of thermal scanner and issuance of digital control code for workers and visitors entering the fish port complex. (Joseph Jubelag)
