More fish hatcheries needed, says BFAR
A PROMISING INVESTMENT
THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has called for more investments in fish hatcheries to meet growing demand.
At the Regional Bangus Summit last April 23, one of the activities in the Dagupan Bangus Festival, BFAR Region 1 Director Nestor Domenden said the most promising area of investments is fish hatchery, with Region 1 alone needing at least 600 million milkfish fry annually.
Of the 600 million demand, about 100 million are sourced from Cagayan, another 100 million from different parts of the Ilocos region, 150 million from Sarangani in Mindanao and the rest from Indonesia.
“We call bangus our national fish, yet it is imported from Indonesia,” Domenden told bangus stake holders from Region 1.
Domenden said to become self-sufficient in fish fry production, the aquaculture industry’s sustainability must be for the long term.
“Breeding hatchery is our key to our self-containment for our industry to stay,” Domenden stressed.
Region 1 accounts only for 25 per cent of the more than 401,000 metric tons of total milkfish production in the country, majority of which comes from Pangasinan.
Domenden said the growth area in fisheries is on aquaculture, dominated by milkfish, and urged fish farmers to diversify to other species like grouper (lapu-lapu, snapper, seabass, maya-maya, pampano and siganid (malaga), which are considered high-value produce.
He announced the establishment of a fish hatchery in Labrador by Feed Mix and that another group is now securing permit and other regulatory papers for another hatchery in Sual town.
EXPANSION AREAS
The total fish production area in Region 1 includes some 825,000 hectares of municipal water whose control, management and conservation are under the local government’s authority, and another 25,000 hectares of fresh water.
Of these, only 12,225 hectares of brackish water and 1,425 hectares of fresh water are actually being utilized for fish production.
Domenden said potential areas for expansion are Sual Bay facing the West Philippine Sea near the Zambales border where 774 hectares of municipal waters can be tapped, and part of the Agno River in Bugallon town.
Aquaculture or fish farming accounts for majority of the total annual fish production in Region 1 at 77 percent, while the remaining 23 percent is from capture fisheries.—LVM with report from Johanne R. Macob
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