Trade Dynamics of the Leopard Coral Grouper (Plectropomus leopardus, Lacepède, 1802) in Palawan: A Philippine Perspective on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Coping Strategies

The live reef fish food trade (LRFFT) is one of the fisheries activities in the Philippines, making vital contributions to the economy. The Leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus, Lacepède, 1802) is the most highly valued commercial fish species utilized for LRFFT. Aside from overexploitation, the trade of P. leopardus has been unprecedentedly challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research examines these challenges through assessments of their impacts on the trade dynamics of P. leopardus, from 2018 to 2021, as well as qualitative analysis of the government’s responses during the COVID-19 outbreak. Trade parameters examined include export volume, market value, transhipment ports, and shipment status. The results showed that Puerto Princesa City and Quezon are the top exporters of the commodity from southern Palawan, while Coron generated the highest production from northern Palawan. Live P. leopardus was the most preferred commodity, and the majority were transported to the National Capital Region (Metro Manila). The control measures against the pandemic, which imposed lengthy community quarantines, restrictions on the movement of people and commodities, fear of recurring outbreaks, and unstable food security, have substantially caused trade disruptions. To meet these challenges, the government’s coping strategies, such as stabilizing the supply chain, food security monitoring, price-stabilization scheme, and conditional cash assistance program, were employed to offset the negative impacts in both short- and long-term scenarios. This study concludes with emerging opportunities to improve domestic policies, regulations, and collaborative partnerships among the different stakeholders for greater resilience.