The Banyera Practice: An Assessment of Unloading Practices and Fish Handling Techniques at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, NCR, Philippines

Date

5-2024

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Fitz D. Jimenez

Committee Member

Maria Noriza Q. Herrera, Remund Jordan D. Labios, Melodee Marciana E. De Castro

Restrictions

Restricted: Not available to the general public and for consultation with the author/thesis adviser. Access is available only to those bound by the confidentiality agreement.

Abstract

While fish ports ensure the efficiency of the supply chain in the Philippines, most of the regional fish ports still lack functional cold storage facilities (Manalili et al., 2015); hence, the most usual technique of fish preservation in landing sites is through banyera practice — the use of basins filled with crushed ice for the fish quality preservation. However, this traditional method increases the risk of contaminating fish when no proper sanitary measures are taken (Allende et al., 2020). As such, fish ports also become a focal point for the increasing postharvest losses, estimated at 25-40% of total fish production, due to mishandling brought about by contamination (DA-BFAR, 2018).

The Navotas Fish Port Complex (NFPC) is the largest in the country and in Southeast Asia, regulated by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority. It receives the most number of unloaded catch amounting to approximately 293,431 MT annually. From 2020 to 2023, it is estimated that 17% of the total volume of fish unloaded and traded in Navotas Fish Port Complex is subjected to quality losses. This study determined the nature of food safety management in NFPC, more specifically the unsafe practices inside market halls where fish were exposed to safety hazards during the critical stages of postharvest activities such as (1) unloading, (2) fish grading, and (3) trading. Specifically, the researcher intended to (1) present the worker profile and the nature of unloading and fish handling practices, (2) enumerate the food safety management practices in market halls, (3) examine the dimensions of food safety culture (FSC), (4) analyze the gap between managers and workers perception regarding FSC, (5) evaluate the level of compliance of NFPC in certain food safety standards, and (7) recommend strategies to enhance the food safety culture in market halls.

The respondents of the study were composed of 120 manual workers (batilyo, lagum, kargador) and the managers of the Food Safety and Environmental Management Unit and Market Division Unit in NFPC selected through convenience sampling; data were collected through a printed survey questionnaire. This study used descriptive and quantitative research design to provide a more comprehensive overview of the area's workflow with measures of central tendency, sign test, and cross-tabulation methods as the tools for data analysis. Majority of the respondents of the study are the batilyos (37.5%) - the workers responsible for dragging the banyera to respective stalls using a tub puller who also serves as helper of the auctioneer in sorting the fish in terms of its type and size. For the worker profile, the study revealed that the average age of manual workers in NFPC is 28 years old, with a range spanning from 16 to 66 years old. All of them are male and a large portion of the respondents has been in the field for 1 to 5 years and most of them are high school undergraduates (47.50%).

Results showed that the three major operations inside a market hall are unloading, fish grading, and trading. Market 1 is responsible for fishing vessel unloading, Market 2 is for overland unloading, and Market 3 is for fishing boat unloading. About 206 MT per day are unloaded in Market 1, 92 MT for Market 2, and 48 MT for Market 3. Fish grading involves classification into first class (primera), second class (segunda), and third class (tersera) by technical enumerators based solely on visual inspection guided by a quality standard scheme. The trading practice is facilitated by fish brokers and auctioneers through a whisper-bidding system, selling fish per banyera and per kilo. From the survey responses, this study revealed that the precautionary measures taken by manual workers in the major operations are subpar, with lapses including failure to change melted ice, usage of unclean banyera, and fish sorting on unclean floors, which are clearly food safety violations based on the food safety manual issued by the PFDA.

In terms of food safety management practices, this study revealed that these were subdivided into: (1) inspection procedure, (2) quality assurance, (3) storage conditions, and (4) hygiene and sanitation. Findings of unsafe practices have shown that the NFPC does not have any food safety certification at present. Additionally, there is no specific food safety training given for the manual workers. Furthermore, their traceability system for incoming products inside the fish port is only applicable to Market 1 and Market 2. Other findings revolve around non-compliance of workers which are focused on improper attire, smoking while working, unregulated placement of banyeras, littering, and inadequate cleaning substances to be used.

For the dimensions of food safety culture, it indicated that communication is currently the most prioritized dimension within the Navotas Fish Port Complex, followed by the worker-unit commitment. The suggests effective information flow from management to workers and a strong sense of responsibility among workers regarding food safety practices. Conversely, the least prioritized dimensions were identified as environment, risk, and management - highlighting areas needing attention to enhance food safety culture. Moreover, there is misalignment of dimensions of food safety vulture between workers and managers in terms of management, commitment, and environment which suggests the need to implement corrective measures.

In addition, the Navotas Fish Port Complex have shown a 59.09% compliance rate with the Code of Hygienic Practice for the Sale of Fresh Agriculture and Fishery Products (PNS 46:2006). Despite efforts to maintain cleanliness, issues such as poor storage conditions and inconsistent water and ice quality compromise fish quality. For ISO 22000:2018 certification, the compliance rate is 58.33%. While systems like self-audits, a food safety manual, and an organizational structure are in place, there are gaps in product quality verification and periodic reviews of food safety protocols. With this level of compliance and the mentioned practices at present, around 21% of fish unloaded experienced quality loss due to spoilage, damage, defects, impurities, and undesirable sizes. This resulted in a financial loss of approximately Php 176,731 over a 15-day period starting in March, the peak season. This assessment excludes some seafood varieties, indicating potential for further losses.

Overall, the unloading practices and fish handling techniques impact food safety culture through their influence on the prevention of contamination, adherence to hygiene protocols, and maintenance of product quality standards. Hence, recommendations given were focused on enhancing facilities and equipment, fish quality control, and dimensions of food safety culture tailored to management, manual workers, and for future researchers. Pursuing ISO 22000:2018 certification, stricter enforcement of hygiene standards along with biosecurity measures for pest control, and site design improvement are recommended for an enhanced food safety culture. Finally, for future researchers, investigating what are the potential drivers for non-compliance of workers and management can provide additional insights on how to address the root cause of the problem and eventually, finding ways on how to improve worker's efficiency towards food safety in the fisheries sector.

Language

English

LC Subject

Fish trade, Supply chain management

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2024 M17 F56

Document Type

Thesis

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