After three months of taking care and feeding milkfish, members of the Sitio Anonang Homapon Fisher Folks Association (HFFA) in this city are finally enjoying the fruits of their labor with a bountiful harvest.
HFFA president Edna Adille, in an interview on Wednesday, said they harvested early this week more than 14 washtubs or “banyera” with a total of 560 kilograms of “bangus” (milkfish).
Adille said she is very grateful to the City Agriculture Office (CAO) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for helping them grow milkfish, noting that the project is very beneficial as has improved the livelihood of association members.
“We, the 32 HFFA members have taken care of the fish cage with a routine schedule in monitoring and feeding it every day,” she said.
Adille noted that the proceeds from the harvested fish this week would be used to buy fingerlings to keep the project rolling.
CAO chief Sheila Nas said in a separate interview that the fingerlings were acquired through the PHP1.2-million grant released by BFAR to CAO last September.
She said the cage is being managed by the HFFA as part of their livelihood program.
Nas also said her office had conducted seminars to the HFFA members that equipped them with additional knowledge on feeding for the faster growth of the brackish water fish.
She said the group is closely monitoring the condition of the milkfish to minimize mortality until harvest time.
“The project is part of the Aqua-Culture Development Program (ACDP) of the CAO to promote cultured fish care to augment the supply for fish consumption and give additional income to fisher folks in these communities,” Nas added.
She noted that the Homapon Cove, where the milkfish cage is situated, is also ideal for culturing oysters, mussels, and other fish species such as “lapu-lapu” (grouper) and seaweeds.
Source: Philippines News Agency
