TIGBAUAN, Iloilo – The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) continues to scout for ideal sites for multispecies hatchery.
For the second leg of the search, a SEAFDEC feasibility study team is presently scouring Zamboanga del Norte province and will proceed to Bantayan, Cebu.
The project is a multimillion-peso collaboration between SEAFDEC and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Previously the team was in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur.
The site assessment survey is the first stage of the legislated multispecies hatchery to be established in 15 municipalities in different parts of the country. Site assessment includes aspects for its suitability, infrastructure and eventual operation.
With fish production reportedly static since the late 1980s, the project hopes to increase it – a common goal of SEAFDEC and BFAR. For this to be achieved, the need for seedstocks needs to be addressed first.
The 15 pilot hatcheries will be established in the following provinces: Cebu, Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Quezon, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, and Albay.
The project will not only boost fish production but also generate employment for the rural people, especially in coastal areas. There are an estimated 1.6 million workers in the fisheries industry in 2015.
SEAFDEC is a regional treaty organization established in 1967 to promote fisheries development in Southeast Asia.
Member-countries include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Aquaculture Department, one of SEAFDEC’s five technical departments, is dedicated to aquaculture research and development through the production, dissemination and exchange of aquaculture information./PN
