Manila, June 3 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) has extended the deadline for issuing fish and seafood import permits till end of June to give importers more time to comply with new guidelines, aimed at addressing food inflation and stabilizing supply for key industries.

This aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to rationalize fish importation to support the tourism and hospitality sectors, boost job generation, and attract investment.

Up to 25,000 metric tons of fish and seafood for the food service sector were authorized to be imported by the DA but only about 25 percent of the approved volume has arrived.

"It's more of a systemic issue than low demand," Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Tu...