TACLOBAN CITY, September 22, (PIA) -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 8 (BFAR-8) during its celebration of the Fish Conservation Week on September 14-18, 2020, has emphasized its support to the fisherfolks, and likewise encouraged fishery enthusiasts to go into aquaculture production.
BFAR-8 OIC-Regional Director Norberto Berida in an interview with Regional Director Olive Tiu of the Philippine Information Agency during the Suruswerte ha PIA radio program, said the celebration which was mandated through Presidential Proclamation No. 316, was in consonance with the National Maritime Day also celebrated every month of September, so with the awareness and consciousness on maritime and archipelagic issues, and likewise on the concerns along with the International Clean-up Day.
With this year’s theme, “Karagatan ay Pangalagaan, Upang Makalmit ang Ani at Kita Kahit Nasa Gitna ng Pandemang Hamon ng Bayan,” the activities conducted for the week started with the video message of BFAR Secretary William Dar. Other activities according to Director Berida included the zoom and facebook live presentations on fisheries management in the region, seaweeds farming and technology, illegal undocumented and unrecorded fishing, and mammal stranding, which were aired every afternoon on a daily basis.
The office has also conducted the e-Kadiwa fish selling known as “Isdalivery,” wherein fish products were sold online and delivered free of charge. However, said type of fish selling has been limited for home consumption with buyers allowed only up to five kilos of fish products, and likewise intended for Tacloban residents only.
“We were just helping our fisherfolks who were mostly from the provinces of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran and Southern Leyte, considering the difficulty in transporting and selling their products due to some protocols set to avoid the spread of Covid-19,” Director Berida said.
Fish products sold according to the Director, were boneless bangus, matang baka, squid and yellow fin tuna, among others.
“With the success of the isdalivery project, BFAR has planned to have it on a monthly basis even only for one week per month,” he added.
The BFAR official added that during the onset of the health crisis, they were into their usual livelihood support to their fisherfolks such as aquaculture production, aside from helping in the Hatid-Tulong Program for the Locally Stranded Individuals, where they spent about P1.4-M for the food needs of some 2,000 LSIs both in Tacloban City and in Northern Samar.
“For the aquaculture production, we have the clustering of areas having backyard fishpond in some municipalities of the region like in Baybay City, where the office supplies tilapia fingerlings and likewise offers technical assistance, while the local government unit takes charge of the feeds,” Berida said, adding that the office was able to supply some 64,000 fingerlings last July and these will be harvested after three months with at least 3 pieces per kilo.
The office has also promoted the Tilapia in tank project of which models are available at BFAR Provincial Fishery Offices and at the Department of Agriculture, for those who would want to venture in this type of aquaculture production in urban areas. Further, BFAR is in the process of profiling Overseas Filipino Workers and LSIs who would be willing to go into fisheries activities, particularly those registered fisherfolks.
The fishery office has also its upland aquaculture and the rice-fish culture projects in upland or remote barangays of the three provinces of Samar, in Leyte and in Southern Leyte. This is to provide barangay folks the access to food production, as among the office’s contributions to the government’s program in Ending Local Armed Conflict (ELCAC). (ldl/gtt/PIA Leyte)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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