THE Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office, has allocated 1.2 million bangus fry as part of the National Bangus Development Program that aimed to augment and sustain the production in the region.
On Thursday, July 13, the 1.2 million bangus were simultaneously shipped to Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte as well as to the Mampang Brackishwater Demonstration Fish Farm (MBDFF), Ipil Brackishwater Demonstration Fish Farm (IBDFF), and the Integrated Mariculture Outreach Station (IMOS) in Isabela City, Basilan.
BFAR Regional Director Al-Zath Kunting said the bangus fry allocation for Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay; Zamboanga del Sur, and del Norte was 275,000 pieces each; 35,000 pieces each for MBDFF and IBDFF, and 30,000 pieces for the IMOS.
“The present intervention, in particular, does not only seek to increase production but also aims to provide much-needed breathing room for local bangus farmers,” Kunting said in a statement.
Zamboanga Peninsula has emerged as one of the most productive areas in Mindanao in terms of bangus production.
However, the escalating growth in the mariculture industry has resulted in an exponential demand for bangus fry.
As a consequence, the local availability of fry has been severely strained, leading the region's bangus growers to heavily rely on suppliers from outside the area for over a decade.
“By addressing the scarcity of seed stocks within the region, it offers a lifeline to small-scale operators who have long been grappling with the constraints of procuring them from distant sources,” Kunti said.
He said the intervention carries significant weight, as it not only addresses immediate challenges but also holds the potential to transform the lives of small-scale bangus farmers.
He said that by increasing their access to seed stocks, these milkfish farmers can seize new opportunities for growth and secure their place in the thriving Bangus industry. (SunStar Zamboanga)