BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 8, 2024)—The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) office in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) is sustaining its initiatives to boost the output of aquaculture in the region.
A good example is in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, where 57-year-old Simeon Rafael utilizes a pond-based technology demonstration project on the grow-out culture of tilapia.
On July 25, Rafael got a partial harvest of some 100 kilograms of marketable-sized tilapia during the Harvest Field Day, a joint activity of BFAR Region 2 through the Provincial Fishery Office in Nueva Vizcaya headed by Jay-Arre Usquisa and the local government unit (LGU) of Kasibu.
Usquisa said the harvest field day aims to showcase the economic benefits of growing tilapia in fishponds and at the same time promote food security in the mountainous province of Nueva Vizcaya.
Rafael’s pond is expected to produce 940 kilograms — sold at P160 per kilo — with an 80 percent survival rate once the total harvest is done.
The BFAR said the pond has an area of 1,000 square meters utilized as a techno-demo site and was stocked with 5,000 tilapia fingerlings.
Aside from technical assistance, the bureau also provided such as fertilizers and feeds to the project cooperator.
Rafael thanked the bureau for choosing him to showcase the lucrative source of income.
“There is a growing number of fisherfolks in this mountain town of Kasibu, and I am one of those selected for this project,” he said.
Another BFAR Region 2 initiative is in Cagayan province, also to promote food security, with the BFAR and the LGU of La-lo jointly spearheading the conduct of harvest field day of its technology demonstration on the grow-out culture of tilapia in Barangay Naguilian on July 18.
Project beneficiary Hector Ponce received full livelihood assistance from the bureau including inputs such as commercial feeds, fingerlings, fertilizers and technical guidance.
The BFAR Region 2 team said Ponce was provided with 2,500 pieces of tilapia fingerlings as a startup and has progressed over a four-month culture period.
During the harvest field day, Ponce yielded 130 kilograms of tilapia.
Also in Cagayan province, some 15 Abulug women-fisherfolk are looking at fish processing as a promising side hustle with the help of the bureau.
The women fisherfolk are eyeing fish processing as one of their options as a side job so they can have additional income for their families.
From July 17 to 18, they participated in a training titled “Skills Training on Value Added Fish Processing Technology” in Barangay San Julian in Abulug that was spearheaded by the bureau’s training arm, the Cagayan provincial fishery office and the town.
The bureau said the participants were taught the basics of proper fish handling, good manufacturing practices, sanitation standard operating producers, product packaging and labeling.
Participant Emi Tapec said various value-added products from tilapia were produced as their output of the training, including fish ball, fish roll, fish skin chicharon, fish embutido, fish breaded stick and fish tocino. LEANDER C. DOMINGO