Opinion: Half-truth about milkfish fry production

PHILIPPINES - I’D like to make this reaction to the news report “Bangus fuels Dagupan economy” (Inquirer, 3/25/06), specifically the portion that stated: “The BFAR has established hatcheries in the provinces to sustain milkfish fry production year-round.”

This is only half-true, and I don’t mean to take away anything from the achievements of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. While it’s true that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has established a few hatcheries, the claim that these hatcheries will sustain milkfish ("bangus") production is outrageously erroneous and smacks of irresponsible reporting.

Did the reporter ever bother to check how much fry these BFAR hatcheries produce? I’m willing to bet that their production is not even anywhere close to one percent of our country’s national fry requirement!

Our country has been importing an estimated 1.5 billion bangus fry from Indonesia annually to the prejudice of local hatcheries and wild fry gatherers (marginalized fisherfolk).

In other words, six out of every 10 pieces of the bangus we eat are grown from imported fry. (That is what sustaining the bangus industry means?)

This is so because BFAR has allowed unrestricted importations of bangus in the past four years, thus practically killing all local initiatives to develop our hatchery industry.

In fact, three of the seven known private commercial hatcheries have given up on the business because of losses brought about by the effects of importation. Several others who wanted to invest in the enterprise have shelved their plans.

To continue reading this article please click here

Source: Inq7

© 5M Enterprises Ltd.
2000 - 2007
No part of this site may be
reproduced without permission

5M Enterprises Ltd., 4 Haywood House, Hydra Business Park, Nether Lane, Sheffield, S35 9ZX, England.

Co. Registration 3332321 - A Benchmark Holdings Ltd. Company