November 19, 2010

 

Philippines' finfish hatchery project gets US$1 million

 

 

The Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) plans to give PHP14.3 million (US$326,124) to the UNLAD Quezon Foundation, where the sum of money would be used to assist in the running of a multi-species finfish hatchery scheme in Unisan.

 

The hatchery will rear a variety of fish fingerlings that will be beneficial for fishers and mariculture park operators in the province of Quezon once it is operating at its full capacity.

 

Agriculture secretary, Proceso Alcala, said the combined initiative symbolises part of the Aquino Administration's public-private partnership (PPP) project, as UNLAD will provide PHP30 million (US$684,175) to start the hatchery's construction.

 

Essential infrastructures such as tanks, reservoir, larval rearing tanks, a natural food production area, offices, and staff houses at the site of the project will be built at a one hectare area given by UNLAD for the hatchery, reports PNA.

 

BFAR director, Malcolm Sarmiento Jr, said that with the PPP venture, it is both more cost-efficient and pragmatic for DA-BFAR to have a cost-sharing deal with the private sector instead of establishing a multi-million peso facility by itself.

 

Alcala was present at the signing of a memorandum of agreement needed to begin the project. Sarmiento BFAR IV-A Director, Rosa Macas, and UNLAD president, Atty Vicente Joyas, also signed the document.

 

The aim of the combined project is to secure a source of high-value finfishes and to support the current 5.3 million hectare fishpond lease agreement areas in three mariculture zones in Quezon; namely Padre Burgos, Perez, and Tagkawayan.

 

Currently, the industry gets most of its fingerlings from the wild or abroad, which is not sustainable for long. Alcaca added that the Quezon province uses up to 52.9 million bangus fingerlings annually.

 

The hatchery will place importance on supplying fingerlings to small fishers and fishpond operators, who will obtain a 20% discount on the product when the hatchery is running.

 

DA-BFAR will give broodstock a variety of fish species and provide the essential training for technical experts to ensure that they can run the project effectively and sustainably.

 

The bureau will also assist UNLAD to have a fingerling distribution method in order to help as many fish farmers and mariculture operators as possible.