DA urges public to help protect marine resources

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is encouraging the public to protect and conserve the country’s marine resources in the face of climate change, overfishing and illegal fishing.

The DA, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), is undertaking conservation measures that include the distribution of a “panukat isda” or fish ruler.

The fish ruler is intended to educate and encourage fisherfork to catch and sell only mature fish, and for consumers to buy only mature fish.

The DA is also implementing the “Puno Ko, Sagip Buhay Mo,” a nationwide mangrove and watershed reforestation program.

The BFAR is also implementing the “Pangisdaan sa Bakuran,” a techno-demo livelihood program to encourage urban dwellers to raise fish in their backyard.

Other initiatives include the recently concluded “FishTa sa QMC,” which featured free seminars on raising catfish and pangasius, and consultations on DA-BFAR technical and marketing services.

According to the DA, the initiatives are aimed at increasing the general public’s awareness and appreciation of efforts to sustain the development and conservation of the country’s fisheries sub-sector which provides employment and livelihood to over one million fishermen and their families, produces more than P180 billion worth of aquaculture and marine products, and about $390 million worth of fishery exports annually.

With the “panukat isda” or fish ruler, the DA hopes to educate the public on the ill effects of catching and consuming immature or not fully grown fishes, which leads to the fast depletion of the country’s fish resources.

The water-resistant fish ruler has photos of five common fishes sold in the market with their corresponding length at maturity.

Any fish whose length falls short of the prescribed length should not be caught and, if already caught, must be returned back to the sea.

The “Puno Ko, Sagip Buhay Mo,” is a tree-planting program that the BFAR is undertaking with Pampano, a nationwide fisherfolk organization and some local government units.

The program aims to plant at least six million mangrove propagules and acacia seedlings to rehabilitate key coastal and watershed areas across the country.

Mangrove areas, aside from providing fish, shrimps, crabs, lobsters and shellfishes are the first line of defense against tsunamis, the occurrence of which has recently increased in frequency owing to climate change.

The “Pangisdaan sa Bakuran” is a joint project of BFAR, the Quezon City government, Vitarich Corp., Angel Cooperative Inc., and A & L Fish Hatcheries Inc. It aims to help families in various coastal municipalities in the country raise fish in their own backyard for their own consumption.

The program encourages the use of low-cost containers like plastic drums to grow food fish that do not require aeration and other expensive accessories.