Region 9 – A technical team from DA-BFAR Regional Office IX and DA-BFAR IX PFO Zamboanga Sibugay headed by Assistant Regional Director Al-zath K. Kunting, OIC- Chief of the Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordination Division, imparted expert know-how on Aquasilviculture with emphasis on mangrove crab grow-out culture technology during the two-day capability-building seminar facilitated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office of Imelda (DENR CENRO-Imelda) at Barangay Concepcion, Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay on August 11-12, 2021.
The said activity was attended by the members of the Concepcion Fisherfolk Association led by Mr. Cenon Balawag, Jr., grantees of the Community Base Forest Management – Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CBFM-CARP).
This program includes the establishment of an aquasilviculture project that would provide sustainable livelihood to marginalized fisherfolk while at the same time strengthen mangrove forest rehabilitation efforts in the area.
Topics on environmental laws, rules, and regulations on the cutting of mangroves were briefly discussed during the lecture proper. It was emphasized, that the aquasilviculture project will strictly comply with the “No cutting of mangroves” policy.
Aquasilviculture is a mangrove-friendly aquaculture technique that allows the production of high-value fishery species in a mangrove reforestation project. Although the project was focused on the grow-out culture of mangrove crab, the team highlighted the potential of the polyculture method to maximized production. Polyculture is the practice of culturing more than one aquaculture commodity. Instead of culturing mangrove crab alone, it can be combined with either grouper or “Lapu-Lapu”, red snapper or “pulahan”, siganids or “samaral” and other high-value fish species.
BFAR technical team together with DENR- CENRO-Imelda personnel then conducted field inspection and validation of suitable sites for the aquasilviculture project. The CBFM Coordinator, Ms. Geraldine M. Sadusta, RPA, on behalf of Mr. Pilarito B. Montebon, head of the DENR-CENRO- Imelda, extended her sincere gratitude to DA-BFAR IX Regional Director Isidro M. Velayo, Jr., MDM, for providing the needed technical support to the above endeavor which assuredly results to a positive impact both in aquaculture production and environmental conservation.
(News & photos courtesy of BFAR IX)