Negros Occidental Town Forms Task Force for Crab Industry Amid US Export Ban

BACOLOD CITY—E.B. Magalona town in Negros Occidental, known as the “Blue Crab Capital” of the province, has formed the Municipal Crab Industry Task Force (MCITF) to address the economic crisis that has struck its blue swimming crab industry. This move comes in response to an export ban recently imposed by the United States National Marine Fisheries Service under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The restriction has effectively cut off local producers from their primary international market, leading to severe market disruptions. This has resulted in a plunge in local demand, declining prices for crab products, and significant income loss for fisherfolk, crab pickers, traders, and processors across the town's nine coastal barangays. According to local officials, the price of blue swimming crabs in the domestic market has dropped from P350 to P400 per kilogram to as low as P150 per kilo. The newly formed task force is mandated to find ways to address this price plunge and aid industry stakeholders. The multi-sectoral body, led by the mayor, will undertake measures to cushion the impact and chart a path toward recovery. Its responsibilities include assessing economic damages, maintaining an updated registry of affected workers, coordinating technical and financial assistance with national government agencies, and exploring market diversification and value-adding activities for local crab products. In a bid to provide immediate financial relief, Mayor Matthew Louis Malacon urged the Sangguniang Bayan (town council) to urgently enact an ordinance granting a temporary tax holiday or local tax relief for eligible crab pickers, local fisherfolks, and directly affected businesses operating within the local crab supply chain. Furthermore, municipal departments including Agriculture, Tourism, and Social Welfare have been directed to roll out capability-building, skills training, and livelihood assistance programs to strengthen the resilience and long-term competitiveness of the local industry.