| BFAR rescues fishing industry in Davao Sur |
| Written by Eldie S. Aguirre | |
| Sunday, 20 July 2008 | |
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The provincial office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) now on its top gear in helping the fishing industry in Davao del Sur.
Carlito Aclao, BFAR provincial officer in a media interview said his office is now concentrating on the government’s drive to boost aqua-culture industry in the province by providing assistance to small and medium scale fishermen and fishpond operators to go on with their trade.
Just this week, the BFAR has distributed fishing gears to more than 500 fishermen in the province and thousands of carp, ‘tilapia’ and milk fish fry and fingerlings to backyard and commercial fishpond operators.
Aclao said since the start of this year almost a million fish fry and fingerlings were distributed to beneficiaries in Sta. Maria, Sulop, Hagonoy, Malalag, Padada, Sta. Cruz, Sarangani, and Digos City
The BFAR officer said villagers in coastal towns of the province who relied on fishing was crippled by the unavailability of fishing gears to earn a living.
Aclao said the fishing paraphernalia given to the beneficiaries could mean a lot in the government’s effort to have a sustainable supply of fish in the local market and help improve the economic status of the fishermen.
He said most of them possess fishing skills but could not afford to buy the needed gears to catch fish to feed their family.
The fishery office is targeting the entire coastal villages of the province to avail of government subsidy to stabilize supply in the market.
Davao del Sur is known to be abundant with different fish species that could lift up the economic status of fishermen when adequate fishing paraphernalia could reach their hands. |