BFAR eyes more fish landing centers

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Davao Region is eyeing the establishment of more Community Fish Landing Center (CFLC) in the region to improve the socio-economic condition of the fisherfolk communities.

“We have noted a 9.5% increase in fish production last year. The establishment of the CFLC is another strategy to further increase production this year,” BFAR Davao Regio Director Fatma Idris said.

The CFLCs, which is part of the Targeted Actions to Reduce Poverty and Generate Economic Transformation (TARGET) of the Bureau launched in 2014, aims to reduce post-harvest losses in the fisheries sector to 18% from the present 25%.

Among the three programs under TARGET are the fisherfolk registration, Boat Registration and the CFLC.,

Idris said with the CFLCs, BGAR aims to put up more infrastructure projects in order to house marine-entrepreneurs and fish farmers so they could get more opportunities to make their livelihood sustainable.

She said there were five CFLCs proposed in 2015 with an allocation of P2,850,000 each. The CFLC in Mati City, Davao Oriental was the first to be inaugurated on March 23, 2016.

"The remaining four CFLCs are still undergoing construction stages," Idris said. Up to 15 CFLC sites with a total budget of P45,000,000 are targeted for 2016.(lac)

Fish catch in the Davao Region up in 2015

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Davao Region has recorded a 9.5% increase in fish catch in the Davao Gulf.

“We noted an increase of 9.5 percent in fish catch following the strict implementation of the closed season and other programs of BFAR last year,” BFAR-Davao Director Fatma Idris said.

Idris said the growth in the fisheries production resulted to a 22 percent fish sufficiency in 2015. This confirms that the region is still one of the top contributors in the country’s fisheries production.

"This implies that the production can suffice the 22 percent of the fish requirement in the region given the number of population," Idris said.

The Bureau has recorded a total fish production of 251,342 metric tons from 2012 to 2015 based on the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) data.

There was however a 22.5 percent decrease in the production from 2013 to 2014 due to the series of tropical storms, but the production bounced back from 2014-2015.

Idris said the increase can be attributed to the ongoing implementation of the Closed Season for the Conservation of Small Pelagic Fishes at Davao Gulf and increase in aquaculture and marine municipal sub-sectors.

The implementation of the Targeted Actions to Reduce Poverty and Generate Economic Transformation (Target) Program in the Fisheries Sector has also helped increase fish production in the region.

The five mariculture parks in Panabo City and Samal in Davao del Norte, Pantukan town, Compostela Valley, Mati City in Davao Oriental, and Malita in Davao Occidental had a major share in the increased fish production.

From 2012 to 2015, a total of 20,099 metric tons of bangus and other high value species were produced from the five mariculture parks, including mariculture zones in Malalag, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Maria towns and Digos City in Davao del Sur.

PSA data shows that  the total production of bangus was at 90,922 metric tons from 2012 to 2015, while seaweeds had a total production of 18,076 metric tons in the same period.

"The remarkable production has provided job employment opportunities and livelihood in Davao region," Idris said.

Closed season in Davao Gulf starts

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will implement for the third year the closed fishing season for pelagic fishes in the Davao Gulf from June 1 to August 31 this year.

"We are reminding our fisherfolk that June 1 signals the end of the open fishing season in the Davao Gulf which lasted from September to May, and the start of the three-month close season" BFAR Davao Region Fatma Idris said.

Joint Administrative Order No. 02 of the Department of Agriculture and Department of Interior and Local Government prohibited the catching of pelagic fishes in the Davao Gulf from June to August every year.

Under the terms of the Closed Season, fishermen or fishing companies will not be allowed to catch pelagic fishes using ringnet and bagnet. The ban also applies to small-scale to large scale commercial fishing with vessels from 3.1 gross tons (GT) to more than 150 GT.

The declaration of a closed fishing season was implemented by BFAR as a strategy to increase fish production in the concerned areas where the fishing ban is being implemented namely Davao, Zamboanga, Palawan and Zambales.

BFAR National Director and Undersecretary Asis Perez said they expect the country’s fish catch to increase and to grow bigger with the declaration of a fishing ban in these areas.

Asis said the closed season will give pelagic fishes a time to spawn and multiply which will ultimately benefit fisherfolk later on. 

Before the Closed Season only 50 percent  of the fishes caught were big but after the first year of implementation, he said, it has increased to 78 percent which means the pelagic fishes have successfully reproduced during the Closed Season and are ready for harvesting.

Among the pelagic fishes that have notably grown bigger in size after the close season are: Bilong-Bilong (Mene maculata) which has grown up to 19 centimeters in length after the closed season compared to its regular size of 11 cm.; Pirit (Auxis rochei) has grown in length from 8.5 cm to 23.5 cm. With an increased production of 40,000 in 2014 from the 15,000 during the previous year and Matambaka (Selar crumenophthalmus) with an increase in production of 170,000 in 2014 from 120,000 during the previous year.

Aside from its main goal of protecting the pelagic fishes in the Davao Gulf during their spawning season, the Closed Season is also being implemented to strengthen the country’s campaign against Illegal, Unreported and Uncontrolled Fishing (IUUF).