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Mariculture Park Planned for Balingasag, Misamis Oriental
PHILIPPINES - After identifying coconut sugar as its One-Town, One Product (OTOP) with the help of the Department of Trade and Industry, this municipality has also turned its development focus seaward with the proposed establishment of Northern Mindanao's first mariculture park, this time with the assistance of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). |
"BFAR-10 conducted an initial survey and ocular inspection of the area and it turned out to be a feasible site for a mariculture park", said Arlene B. Pantanosas, BFAR region 10 director. "We just have to conduct further assessments on physical and biological factors to be able to come up with more reliable benchmark data before we will proceed with the project."
Pioneered by BFAR Central Office Assistant Director Gil Adora, (known as the Father of Mariculture Parks), mariculture parks are the seaside equivalent of industrial estates. Both aim to attract investors by putting up basic infrastructure which will enable interested firms to fast-track the establishment and operation of their respective enterprises.
To date, BFAR's partnership with LGUs has led to the establishment of five mariculture parks in storm-sheltered and environment-friendly coastal areas nationwide. Existing mariculture parks include the country's first at Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal (now with 10 locators and four small scale Fisheries Resource Management Project (FRMP) projects totaling P20-million investments. Total production was 81MT excluding small-scale locators and 298 new jobs generated); Palauig-Masinloc, Zambales (10 units fish cages operated by 10 fisherfolk organizations); Mariculture Zone in Sto.Tomas Cove, Sto. Tomas, La Union (with three investors in place, with two already constructed and set cages for stocking) and in Bgy. Malajog, Calbayog City, Samar (10 ha. mariculture zone launched March 20, 2003)
The Department of Agriculture through the BFAR aims to increase to 41 the existing number of mariculture parks this year through partnerships with local government units (LGUs) and foreign investors on the development of fish cage farming across the country.
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Source: American Chronicle
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