The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is building a PHP24-million multi-species marine hatchery in Zamboanga del Norte to address the problem of fingerlings supply in the province.
BFAR-9 Regional Director Isidro Velayo Jr. said Thursday the construction of the hatchery in Barangay Tabon of Jose Dalman town started early this week.
Velayo said the construction of the multi-species marine hatchery was made possible through Republic Act No. 10859, An Act Establishing a Multi-Species Marine Hatchery in the Municipality of Jose Dalman, Province of Zamboanga Del Norte, and appropriating funds therefor.
R.A. 10859, passed in February 2016, was authored by then Zamboanga del Norte second district representative and now Sindangan Mayor Rosendo Labadlabad.
Velayo said the project was delayed as the municipal government of Jose Dalman was not able to immediately purchase the land as its counterpart.
He said the feasibility study and preparation of the project’s detailed engineering design, which were done after the approval of R.A. 10859, also contributed to the delay in the implementation of the project.
“The law was already approved but the supporting documents were not yet ready. It was further delayed due to the pandemic,” he said.
He said the project is the first legislated hatchery in the Zamboanga Peninsula and is dedicated to milkfish, pompano, and mangrove crab to solve Zamboanga del Norte's problem with the supply of fingerlings which they import from Indonesia.
“This project will somehow help the fry requirement of bangus not just in Zamboanga, but in the whole country,” said Velayo, who is also BFAR’s assistant director for research and international engagements.
Within a year, he said the hatchery is expected to produce 25.9 million bangus larvae and 10 million bangus fry; two million pompano larvae and 2.7 million pompano fry; and 1.5 million mangrove crabs.
The hatchery will be managed and operated by BFAR for two to three years before its turnover to the municipal government of Jose Dalman.
Source: Philippines News Agency
