Monday, September 27, 2010

BFAR plans more floating fish cages in mariculture parks

published September 23, 2010 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will expand marine agriculture (mariculture) zones in Eastern Visayas by setting up floating fish cages in Leyte’s open seas.

The Fisheries bureau will also redevelop and upgrade the Calbayog Mariculture Park, the first aquaculture project in Samar.

BFAR staff have been inspecting some possible project sites in Leyte, BFAR Regional Director Juan D. Albaladejo said. Among these are Carigara Bay, Leyte Gulf and Biliran Strait. The bureau has yet to determine the number of cages that will be set up in each area.

The cages have to be strong enough to withstand waves of up to three meters and last several years without maintenance.

Mr. Albaladejo said the project will be implemented at the village level. The local government will be asked to declare at least 100 hectares of municipal waters near the coast as a mariculture reserve.

The region has 14 existing mariculture zones with 346 cages, owned by different investors. Early this year, BFAR introduced rent-to-own cages for subsistence fisherfolk. An initial 56 beneficiaries availed of the scheme.

Under the rent-to-own scheme, the cages are constructed by the beneficiaries themselves using materials provided by BFAR. Fingerlings are then provided by the government for the first cropping.

Other support facilities at a mariculture park are a floating sea base composed of landing ports and a multipurpose workboat. Establishment of major support services and facilities such as cold storage, transport and market access, feed processors and hatcheries are other components of the project.

Mariculture parks have been established in cities of Tacloban and Ormoc; Babatngon and Merida towns in Leyte; Basey, Sta. Rita, and Calbayog City in Samar; Biliran and Naval towns in Biliran; Laoang and San Jose in Northern Samar; Liloan in Southern Leyte; and Quinapondan in Eastern Samar.

The parks contribute about 20% of the marine products output in the Eastern Visayas region. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano

Monday, September 6, 2010

Agriculture dep’t investigates mining impact on Leyte farms

published September 06, 2010 in BusinessWorld

MACARTHUR, LEYTE -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) will investigate the impact of magnetite sand mining exploration on rice farms in this town.

Leo P. Cañeda, DA regional executive director, said he has received reports that some of the rice farms in this town have been affected.

"If there are reports of possible effect of mining to agriculture, we should look into this, make an assessment and take appropriate actions," Mr. Cañeda said.

Officials of Nicua Mining Corp., which is conducting exploration activities in the area, could not be reached for immediate comment. In a statement issued earlier, the company assured that four-meter deep mining activities will not destroy soil quality.

A staff of the municipal agriculture office, who declined to be named, said the agency tried to verify reports of adverse impact on farms in Barangay Pongon but were allegedly prevented from entering the area.

Some 20 hectares, about 20% of farms in Pongon, have allegedly been affected. There are over 2,000 hectares of irrigated rice farms in Javier.

Mining exploration has been concentrated in Pongon, but Mr. Cañeda said his office received reports that farms in Barangays Maya, Liwayway and Batug have also been affected.

Pongon is known as one of the top rice-producing villages in this town. Maya and Liwayway are the other top producers, with 75 hectares and 100 hectares, respectively, of rice farms.

Anesia S. Babante, whose family owns a seven-hectare rice farms in Pongon village, said in an interview that she was persuaded several times by Nicua to sell the family property at P160,000 per hectare.

Another option presented to her was a lease at P80,000 per hectare. The property will be reverted to the owner after the exploration activities.

"Farm owners in adjacent areas have sold their land to Nicua. A big chunk of soil has been excavated and that has clogged our waterways," Ms. Babante said.

Irrigation water could not reach some farms and neighboring villages. The farms in the area are fed by the Balire-Ibawon-Gibuga river irrigation system.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has said that the central office gave Nicua authority to add soil samples for final testing.

Around 23,000 metric tons of iron sand concentrate will be tested at the smelting plant set up by the company in the area.

The company started exploration activities in December 2009 and temporarily ceased early this year after the mines bureau found out that there was no prior public consultation. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)