Pagadian City Mayor Samuel S. Co to open fresh-fish retailing at Pagadian City Fish Port in San Pedro District on January 3, 2008 to compete with the high prices of fresh fish sold at the wet market of Agora, Sta. Lucia District.

It was recalled that since November 2007 up to the second week of December 2007 the price of fresh fish was very high.Allegedly according to the vendors, it was because of the high cost of payments of taxes imposed due the establishment of the Fish Port.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) submitted their report after Mayor Co requested them to conduct actual survey and monitoring of the price of fresh fish including their payment of fish port fees  and other expenses of labor and transportation from the Fish Port to Agora and the actual price of how much they are selling their fish at Agora.

During a meeting called by Mayor Co which was attended by the fresh-fish business community, DTI Provincial Director Marichu Malate Atay clarified that it is the Department of Agriculture (DA) which is in charge of fish price monitoring. However, since the mayor have requested them, they have conducted their study regarding Pagadian City's fish price issue.

It was learned that more than half of the fresh fish sold in Agora are not coming from the fish port. Those that pass thru the fish port have only minimal expenses and that the prices they are selling at Agora is much too high and that there is no truth of the alleged rumors that the high price of fish sold in Agora is because of fees imposed by the Fish Port and other expenses occurred from fish port to Agora.

During the meeting the fresh fish vendors denied that they are the source of issues, and the truth of the matter is that the price of fish is too high due to the weather condition known as “Amihan”. Because of the Amihan, some fishing boats transferred their fishing to the Zamboanga del Norte area. This resulted in lower fish supply for Pagadian jacking up prices to what they are now and not due to the Fish Port and its fees.

The supply of fish will be higher in Pagadian during the months March up to October, the fish vendors told Mayor Co.

Mayor Co decided to open retailing of fish in the Fish Port area so that the people will know that the Fish Port is not the reason why the prices of fish in Agora are so much high. This will also give the citizens of Pagadian a choice where to buy fresh fish at lower prices.

“I am not imposing strictly the City Ordinance running our Fish Port because I don’t want to put pressure on small fishermen and businessmen in the Agora, pero okay, ako man ang inyong gipasanginlan nga gumikan sa fish port mimahal ang isda sa Agora magpabaligya ko ug retail sa isda sa fish port nga walay abang sa pwesto libre tanan aron barato ang presyo nga mapalit sa mga tawo, (..but okay, because you blamed the high prices to me due to the fish port, I will open fresh-fish retailing in the Pagadian City Fish Port area without rental and fees to the retailer to be able to sell at lower prices)” Mayor Co told the vendors during the meeting.