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