For a country with a coastline of 36,289 kilometers which is the 4th longest in the world, it is a shame that the Philippines still imports fish, including our favorite “Galunggong.”
In the five years that I spent traveling all over the country, three years as Secretary of Agriculture and two years now as Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), I saw with my bare eyes the causes of the very low fish production in the country.
I have classified the solutions to these problems as Practical and Institutional some of which were implemented when I was Agriculture Secretary.
Among the practical solutions was the Closed Fishing Season implemented by the fishermen of Zamboanga Peninsula in 2011 when the “Tamban” catch for the local sardines makers dwindled because of overfishing.
With the support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, a Closed Fishing Season was declared in the fishing grounds of the Peninsula from December to February to allow the fish to spawn and reproduce.
The result was spectacular. Fishermen reported that the “Tamban” had grown bigger and their catch had immensely increased bringing down the price of the sardines fish to as low as P5 per kilo.
When I was appointed DA Secretary by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, I ordered the nationwide implementation of the Closed Fishing Season in the different fishing grounds to allow fish to spawn and reproduce.
The schedule of the ban was based on the spawning habits of the species found in the different fishing grounds.
The advocacy on sustainable fishing through the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan Program which awards towns with the cleanest coastal waters, the seeding of rivers and lakes with non-invasive fish species and the promotion of fish cage farming were also introduced during my 3-year stint as DA Secretary.
These programs yielded results starting 2019 when for the first time in so many decades, the Fisheries Sector posted positive growth.
The biggest problem that I saw, however, was the absence of post-harvest facilities like a simple ice-making machines, sophisticated blast freezers and cold storages.
During a travel to Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat when I was still DA Secretary, I was told by fishermen that they caught a lot of Tuna during the fishing season but since they did not have enough ice, they limited their catch.
This was and still is true in almost all fishing grounds of Mindanao and the rest of the country, as well, especially in the many fishing communities in the remote islands.
In spite of that, Mindanao was still able to produce over 2-million metric tons of aquaculture and fisheries products in 2019 which accounted for 46% of the total output of the country.
The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) aims to double the region’s fish production in five years, from the current 2-million to 4-million metric tons, with the establishment of 26 Fish Centers in the rich fishing grounds of Mindanao.
The establishment of the Fish Centers which will be equipped with Ice-making equipment, blast freezers and cold storage is proposed to be included in the Mindanao Peace and Development Rise Program or MINPAD Rise which is funded by the European Union Delegation and implemented by MinDA and the German Development Agency GIZ.
In the off-grid areas, Solar Power Generation Facilities could be established.
The 26 Fish Centers will be located in the strategic fishing grounds of Mindanao, from Camiguin to Dinagat and in as far as Tawi-tawi’s Turtle Islands Group and Mapun Island.
The MINFAD Program will be complemented by Fish Cages to be funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines.
With these twin programs, it is projected that Mindanao will be able to increase its fisheries and aquaculture production to about 4-million metric tons by 2025.
By then, it is hoped that we will be able to shed off the ignominious label of a country with rich agriculture and marine resources which is dependent on importation.
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