Pamalakaya warns of price manipulation as fish costs surge during Holy Week

Progressive fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Tuesday, April 15, warned against what it called the “manipulation” of fish prices by private traders as retail costs soar during the Holy Week.

- By JEL SANTOS

Demand for fish spikes during Holy Week, as many Filipinos observe fasting and abstain from meat as part of their faith.

Retail prices of fish have spiked by up to 30 percent, based on projections from the Department of Agriculture (DA), which attributed the surge to reduced supply and increased demand during Lent.

But Pamalakaya claimed the sharp price hikes at markets are not reflective of what small fishers actually earn.