[ Manila Bulletin Online ] May 7, 2008
SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro — The Region 4-B office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) headed by Regional Director Ruben Jardin, in cooperation with the local government units (LGUs), will launch the second mariculture zone in Mimaropa Region on May 9, 2008 in this town.
To be called as the San Jose Mariculture Zone, the 500-hectare area is situated in the sea off Ilin Island and coastal waters of four barangays — Ansiray, Ipil, Buri, and Ambulong.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap, BFAR National Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento Jr., Assistant National Director for Technical Services Gil A. Adora, San Jose Mayor Romulo Festin, Mindoro Occidental Gov. Josephine R. Sato, Rep. Amelita C. Villarosa, and BFAR Regional Director Jardin are expected to lead the people and fisherfolk here at the launching rites at the Caminawit Fisport in this town.
Director Jardin said that he is very happy that local leaders here, particularly the provincial and municipal government officials, are enthusiastic about the project, noting that mariculture is a livelihood-enhancement project for the fisherfolk.
He said it is an undertaking by the DABFAR to implement President Arroyo’s hunger-mitigation and job-generation agenda.
Jardin also said that mariculture projects are conceived by the BFAR leadership in response to the effects of declining fish catch from the wild, due to some factors, such as the depletion of resources and overfishing.
Among the methods employed in the effort to feed a burgeoning population, fish hunters use methods of fishing harmful to nature and destructive to fish and marine species habitats. These result in lesser catch that would further impoverish fishing communities.
This is further compounded by the negative effects of climate change, and continuous rise of fuel prices, he said.
Jardin said that sea-cage farming of finfishes in a mariculture zone is the best technology for production of fish because it is more economical, more practical, and more environment-friendly, because one does not have to cut the mangroves.
Assistant Regional Director Rolando Miranda, meanwhile, said that fish-cage farming is cheaper than developing a fishpond, which cost no less than a 1 million to develop a one-hectare area. Yet, the yield of a 10-by-10-meter fully stocked fishcage is equal to that of twohectare fishpond, he said.
Meanwhile, Engineer Jojo C. Garcia, a mariculture specialist, said that installed now at launching site at the Caminawit fishport are two modules of 10-by10-meter metal-framed cages and eight modules of 6-by-6-meter bambooframed cages.
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