Guv leads installation of fish condominiums in Iloilo coastal town

ILOILO CITY –- Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. led Friday the installation of fish condominiums in the seawaters of Carles as part of Iloilo’s commitment to the save the Visayan Sea.

Defensor, together with renown environmentalist lawyer Antonio Oposa in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), installed an initial of eight fish condominiums in the coastal barangay of Bulosbos in Carles town.

The fish condominium is an innovation of Oposa, who experimented it first at the Bantayan Island in Cebu. He then introduced it to the governors whose provinces lie along the Visayan Sea.

The governors, who have committed to help each other save the Visayan Sea and prevent the further destruction of the once world’s richest fishing ground, are Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Alfredo Maranon of Negros Occidental, Defensor, and Rizalina Seachon-Lanete of Masbate.

Inspired by the success of Oposa's new experiment, Defensor decided to adopt it in the province. The fish condominium that looks like an igloo surrounded by holes and made of cement with bamboo frame will serve as fish sanctuary. It will replace the tires formerly used as artificial reefs.

The governor said the fish condominiums will also be installed in other coastal towns of Iloilo province to serve as breeding and spawning area for fishes. (PNA)