Eastern Visayan fishermen expected to benefit from marine cage project

published December 17, 2009 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will implement the rent-to-own marine cage project starting this month to give fisherfolk in Eastern Visayas the opportunity to operate their own cage in established mariculture zones in the region.

BFAR Assistant Regional Director Justerie M. Granali said they launched this project this year to help fishermen who couldn’t manage their own cage due to financial constraints.

This project will initially be implemented in areas covered by mariculture parks in the towns of Basey and Sta. Rita in Samar, Laoang in Northern Samar and Quinapondan, Eastern Samar.

"All materials needed for the cage construction will be procured by BFAR. The investment is about P230,000. It is payable in two years without interest after every cropping," Ms. Granali said.

The first cropping period will be provided as a grace period and amortization payments start upon the harvest of the second cropping season.

"After full payment of the cage, the unit will be turned over to the beneficiary," she added.

Qualified beneficiaries are registered fisherfolk of the locality and selected by the BFAR, local government units, and the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council. Beneficiaries should undergo a season-long training at the BFAR Regional Fisheries Training Center.

"We will select those with good track records on BFAR-assisted projects," Ms. Granali said. In case of failure of the beneficiaries to pay the cage rental, the unit shall be returned to BFAR and transferred to the beneficiary who is next in line.

The cage which measures five square meters is made of net and bamboo. It will be constructed by the beneficiaries themselves with materials provided by the BFAR. Fingerlings will be provided by the government for the first cropping.

Mariculture parks utilize modern floating cages designed to tolerate up to three meters of waves and last at least five years with little maintenance. A component of the park is the establishment of a grid-type "community" storm mooring system.

Aside from providing the necessary security for the cages during seasonal rough weather, a standardized mooring facility is expected to help prevent problems on uncontrolled growth and expansion, encroachment, entanglement of moorings and navigational hazards.

The establishment of cages was pursued after BFAR noted that bays in the region have been depleted of marine resources due to overfishing.

Mariculture parks have been established in cities of Tacloban and Ormoc as well as in the nearby towns of Leyte and Samar.

From January to November 2009, mariculture operators harvested 1,115 metric tons of aquamarine products, higher than the 1,049 metric tons in 2008. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)