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Food security group lauds late President Aquino’s contribution to fisheries
by Rommel Hallares - Tuesday, 29 June 2021, 01:04 PM
 
Manila Bulletin: Published June 28, 2021, 4:02 PM

Food security group Tugon Kabuhayan joined the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in recognizing the late President Noynoy Aquino administration’s policies and programs that contributed towards the achievement of national food security.

In a briefing on Monday, Tugon Kabuhayan Convenor and former BFAR National Director Asis Perez said it was under then President Aquino’s leadership that Philippine fisheries resource management and law enforcement was further given importance.

This was done through the hiring, training and capacitating the Fisheries Regulatory and Enforcement Office, acquisition of patrol vessels and amendment of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550).

In a separate statement, BFAR said it was during the administration of Aquino that Republic Act No. 10654 lapsed into law, amending the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (RA 8550). Aquino passed away last week, June 24.

“To this day, the implementation of RA 10654 continues to bolster the enforcement of fishery laws and regulations and curb Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in our seas,” BFAR said.

For his part, Perez said the objective of these efforts is to rehabilitate and protect the resource base in order to increase and ensure sustainable production and food security, which is one of the primary reasons for the enactment of the Fisheries Code.
He also noted that the efforts are all initial and far from complete and need to be further continued.

“Being an archipelagic nation, more vessels need to be constructed, and additional law enforcement personnel still need to be hired. While law enforcement efforts are being continued, there is a need to upscale these efforts in light of the threat of foreign poachers,” Perez said.

Complementing the protection and rehabilitation are efforts to modernize and increase the capacity and income of municipal fishers.
Perez added that during Aquino administration, the Bangkang Pinoy Program — which aims to replace wooden municipal fishing boats to safer, sturdier, and more modern boats, made of fiberglass — started.

The program was then continued by the current administration as “FB Pagbabago” and has since constructed and modernize over 30,000 fiberglass boats all over the country.

Community Fish Landing Centers (CFLCs), equipped with freezers and stainless-steel fish tables, were also constructed in municipal fish landing sites.

Tugon Kabuhayan noted that refrigerated vans deployed by DA-BFAR are currently doing test runs to bring aquaculture and municipal fishers’ produce to urban centers.
Once fully implemented this marketing program will bring in produce of aquaculture and municipal fishers to urban centers more efficiently and at a much better price.

“DA-BFAR’s marketing program will complete the loop that begins with resource protection for sustainable production, complemented by post-harvest and proper preservation support down to organized marketing of fisheries produce”, the group said.



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