As the government ramps up its efforts to improve the country’s agricultural production, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has inaugurated a new multi-species marine hatchery in Quezon province.
The BFAR said the project was initiated by the local government unit (LGU) of Alabat, Quezon in a bid to boost the country's aquaculture production by augmenting the production of locally-sourced mangrove crabs and lobsters in the Philippines.
In June 2021, a tripartite agreement was forged through a memorandum between the BFAR Regional Fisheries Office 4A, LGU of Alabat, Quezon, and Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) - Alabat.
The BFAR said it transferred P23 million to the local government of Alabat to cover the construction costs.
In the first two years, the BFAR 4A said it will manage the multi-species marine hatchery while providing technical skills to local government personnel through training and capacity building in preparation for the facility's turnover. Following that, the local government unit will be fully responsible for the facility's management.
The multi-species marine hatchery is located on the SLSU Alabat Campus and is expected to produce 1.5 million crablets per year, it said.
The BFAR noted that the crablets will eventually be transferred to nursery ponds in nearby areas, where they will be supplied to cage operators in mariculture parks in Alabat, Perez, Padre Burgos, and other Quezon municipalities.
According to the BFAR, a new source of lobsters and mangrove crablets within the province provides a number of benefits to the local aquaculture industry, including lower fry costs, which translates into lower operating capital for fish farmers, the establishment of more nurseries and grow-out areas within the province, increased revenue for the LGU, and more job opportunities for the community.
To date, the BFAR has completed 15 of the 57 multi-species hatcheries and aquaculture facilities mandated by 41 Republic Acts passed during the 16th, 17th, and 18th Congresses, with another 12 currently under construction.
Present during the inauguration ceremony were BFAR Assistant Director for Operations and BFAR IV-A Regional Director Sammy A. Malvas, National Broodstock Development Program Focal and DA-BFAR III Regional Director Wilfredo Cruz, and Quezon’s 4th District Representative, Congressman Keith Micah Tan, and other key officials from the municipal and provincial government.