Friday, November 13, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES [ BusinessWorld Online ]
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- A mariculture park with aqua tourism facilities has been proposed for Panguil Bay by the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The project aims at augmenting income for residents of coastal villages along the bay, which stretches through Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Misamis Occidental.
Aside from the local market, the mariculture park also targets the export market.
A demonstration of the project was held at the Lanao del Norte Provincial Capitol amphitheater last week, showing the audience the viability of such mariculture and aqua tourism complex.
The project is being supported by Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo, former governor of Lanao del Norte; Nelieta Noval, Tubod vice-mayor; and Agriculture regional chief David F. Ernacio.
The proposal calls for the division of the bay area into plots for fish cage operation. Navigational lanes and a storm-resistant mooring system with security houses as well as water houses, cold storage, and service boats will be made available on Panguil Bay when the project is completed. Various types of grouper, seabass and sergeant fish are among the high-value fishes proposed for propagation in the Panguil Bay mariculture park.
The proposal, however, is expected to meet opposition from some groups in Northern Mindanao. For instance, commercial production of fishes through fish cages has been questioned by local marine conservationists.
Studies, environmental groups here said, have shown that dissolved inorganic substances and nutrients that are often used in commercial fish production could pollute the water. Panguil Bay has already faced problems of heavy siltation. Not only did siltation make the area inaccessible to commercial fishing vessels, it also threatened the coral reefs.
Heavy siltation was seen as a result of soil runoffs which flowed into the bay in the absence of mangroves along the shoreline.
Although previously considered one of the richest fishing grounds in the country, the development of fishponds in coastal areas of the bay has been blamed for the decline in mangrove area and the consequent reduction of aquaculture produce.
Environmentalists here also noted that aggressive fishing in the bay had also caused further deterioration of its reefs. Blast fishing and the use of cyanide have been identified as among the destructive methods used by some fisherfolks in the area. -- Louise G. Dumas
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