SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela – The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR)-Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) and the city government opened a P10-million multi-species freshwater hatchery at Gunot Seed Farm, Rizal, here on Wednesday, Sept. 14.
The facility houses six concrete rectangular twin tanks for tilapia and hito and six circular tanks for freshwater prawn.
BFAR said the hatchery complex also has a 1.4-hectare earthen pond composed of 11 breeding compartments, four conditioning ponds, and five nursery ponds that will be utilized for pond-hapa-based method to maximize production.
The facility can hold 10,000 tilapia breeders, 1,000 catfish breeders, and 5,000 ulang breeders, and is projected to produce three to four million tilapia fingerlings, 150,000 catfish fingerlings, and 115,200 freshwater prawn post-larvae annually.
DA-BFAR 2 director Angel B. Encarnacion said that their agency is ready to provide technical support to the local government units.
The facility was opened during the celebration of the 59th Fish Conservation Week with the theme “Pagkain ng Bansa Siguruhin, Likas-Kayang Produksyon ng Isda Isulong Natin!”
He said that it is a part of their effort to increase production to ensure food security in Region 2.
"We still have so much to do and we are thankful for the initiative of our local government units to construct their own hatcheries. And I would like to honor the City of Santiago for being the first city in the region to have its own hatchery.”