BFAR welcomes Villar's endorsement of 3 hatcheries in Western Visayas
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Region 6 has welcomed the recent endorsement of Sen. Cynthia Villar for the approval of three legislated hatcheries in the Western Visayas region and 19 others across the country.
VILLAR (FB)
“The primary goal of these hatcheries is to promote local production of fingerlings, thus reducing the country's reliance on imported ones and addressing the gap in demand, particularly for commercially important marine commodities like bangus (milkfish), pompano, and danggit (rabbitfish),” said BFAR-6 in a statement. Iloilo Rep. Raul “Boboy” Tupas has authored a bill for the establishment of two hatcheries in the towns of Carles and Concepcion while Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez has also authored another bill for a hatchery in the municipality of EB Magalona. Villar, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, said that hatcheries contribute to the aquaculture sector to the country such as ensuring the country’s food security, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to foreign exchange earnings. The BFAR-6 said it is committed to provide funding and technical assistance to these proposed legislated hatcheries. The inter-governmental Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is also backing the proposed hatcheries. Based on BFAR-6 data, the three top aquaculture production are milkfish, seaweeds, and oysters.
VILLAR (FB)
“The primary goal of these hatcheries is to promote local production of fingerlings, thus reducing the country's reliance on imported ones and addressing the gap in demand, particularly for commercially important marine commodities like bangus (milkfish), pompano, and danggit (rabbitfish),” said BFAR-6 in a statement. Iloilo Rep. Raul “Boboy” Tupas has authored a bill for the establishment of two hatcheries in the towns of Carles and Concepcion while Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez has also authored another bill for a hatchery in the municipality of EB Magalona. Villar, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, said that hatcheries contribute to the aquaculture sector to the country such as ensuring the country’s food security, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to foreign exchange earnings. The BFAR-6 said it is committed to provide funding and technical assistance to these proposed legislated hatcheries. The inter-governmental Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is also backing the proposed hatcheries. Based on BFAR-6 data, the three top aquaculture production are milkfish, seaweeds, and oysters.