Picture of Joeven C. Calasagsag
BFAR-12 to put up mariculture park in Sultan Kudarat province
by Joeven C. Calasagsag - Friday, 28 May 2010, 10:47 AM
 
balita-dot-ph, May 27, 2010 8:36 pm

KIDAPAWAN CITY, May 27 – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Central Mindanao is bent on promoting the "mariculture" as a major livelihood for coastal fisher folks in Sultan Kudarat province, according to BFAR-12 regional director Sani Macabalang.
A mariculture is a specialized branch of aquaculture which involves the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean. It is farming a species in sea or marine water.
Macabalang said the livelihood project will enhance and hasten socio-economic growth and food security not only in Sultan Kudarat province but in the entire region as a whole.
The bureau is set to establish a mariculture park and other support services and facilities, including cold storage, transport and market access, feed processors, multi-species hatcheries or nurseries and seaweed farming that will allow fisher folks to operate cost-effectively.
The bureau has two preferences where the mariculture project would be established: either at Barangay Sta. Clara or at Barangay Dumagas Nuevo, both in Kalamansig town.
Macabalang said the Mariculture Park will produce different species for sea cage culture like milkfish, rabbit fish [danggit], trevally [talakitok] and grouper; mussel culture; and seaweed farming.
He said the project also intends to develop skilled and technically-capable fisher folks to support the mariculture industry which we aspire here in the region.
The planned Mariculture Park will have three different areas – fully-developed areas with pre-installed cages for the marginalized sector, semi-developed areas with mooring facilities for small investors and bare areas for big shareholders.
A two-year contract Rent-to-Own scheme will be introduced for marginalized fisher folks or residents in which BFAR will provide eight units fish cages sized 10 m x 10 m.
On the other hand, small investors are allowed to a maximum of two mooring spaces where each mooring space is designed for a maximum cage space of 20 m x 20 m.
“With the opening of Kalamansig Mariculture Park this year, more investors will be coming in and venturing on mariculture production which means generation of jobs for the unemployed including the youth,” said Macabalang.
The Kalamansig Mariculture Park is also expected to increase fish stocks in the coastal waters and promotes ecotourism development in Sultan Kudarat. [(PNA)LAP/NYP/MCM/ssc]

Source: BFAR-12 to put up mariculture park in Sultan Kudarat province
Online: 0 Messages: 0
You are not logged in. (Login)