Road To Food Security (4th of a Series) With 5th Longest Coastline,

PH A Fisheries Powerhouse
The Philippines has the 5th Longest Coastline in the World at 36,289 kilometers facing what is considered to be clean waters and it could be a major mariculture player in the world.
The great irony, however, is that in spite of this natural advantage, the Philippines is still importing fish to cover supply shortfall.
In fact, statistics show that the Philippines needs to import at least 60,000 metric tons of fish every year, mostly Roundscad or Galunggong.
This volume of imports, however, could be easily covered by local production needing only 6,000 fish cages to be established in the different bays and coves of the country.
With 6,000 fish cages harvesting 5 to 10 tons tons per cage twice a year, the Philippines could turn around and become a major exporter instead of fish importer.
There are several factors, however, which prevent the country from achieving the status of major mariculture player in the world, the most important of which is the lack of focus by our economic planners on the development of fish farming.
Our fish farmers could easily produce the volume needed by the country if only government could address these issues:
1. Sufficient and sustainable supply of quality fingerlings for Bangus, Tilapia and other species. While the Philippines is one of the three countries considered as natural habitat of Chanos chanos, including Taiwan and Indonesia, it is now dependent on imported fry from the two other countries;
2. Support funding for research, feeds production and actual production. Every year, tens of billions of government funds are poured into traditional crops like Rice, Corn and High Value Crops with very negligible money for aquaculture and. mariculture;
3. Establishment of a marketing system with government taking an active role through the Food Terminal Inc. in absorbing, repositioning and marketing the fish production. Fish farmers could easily meet the national requirements but they have to be assured of fair returns for their labor and investments and a ready market to absorb it.
Earlier, I crafted a 5-Year National Fish Cages Development Program which would involve providing free Bangus fingerlings and feeds for 3,000 Fish Cages in our long coastal areas and bays for a period of five years to make the country Fish Sufficient.
The “Free Fingerlings, Free Aqua Feeds” and market absorption assistance for the Fish Cage Farmers is being proposed to boost fish production for the next five years.
This concept of boosting production through pump-priming assistance to be extended by the Department of Agriculture had long been done for the Rice and Corn Sectors.
Every year, the Rice and Corn Sectors receive support programs which include free seeds, free fertilizer, tractors, dryers and other equipment.
There is no reason why this should not be extended to the Fish Cage Farmers of the country who had long been left to fend for themselves.
With these interventions, the local market will be literally swarmed with locally produced fish whose prices are well within the reach of ordinary Filipino families.
All that is needed to achieve this is pure and simple Common Sense.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!