Basque team eyes coastal resource management projects in RP

A team led by a ranking official of the Basque regional government of Spain is now in the country to explore possible coastal resources management projects and other joint fisheries initiatives with the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Agriculture Undersecretary Berna Romulo Puyat said the Jan. 25-29 visit of a group of Spanish officials led by Basque Agriculture Minister Gonzalo Saenz de Samaniego is an offshoot of the first joint committee meeting between the DA and the Basque Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food held in July last year.

Samaniego is the first high-level official from the Basque region to visit the Philippines.

The members of Samaniego’s group are Adolfo Uriarte, business director of AZTI Tecnalia; Maria Isabel Sola, chief of staff of the Basque Department of Agriculture; Fisheries and Food; and Juan Aguado, foreign officer of the Basque government.

During their five-day stay in the country, Samaniego and his companions will visit the provinces of Palawan and Aurora to inspect and discuss possible joint projects between AZTI Tecnalia and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as part of the implementation of a fisheries cooperation agreement signed in December 2007 by Samaniego and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap during President Arroyo’s state visit to Spain.

AZTI Tecnalia is a non-profit research and development organization that was chosen by the Basque Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to partner with BFAR in implementing the RP-Basque fisheries cooperation agreement, Puyat said.

The Aurora leg of Samaniego’s trip includes a visit to Casiguran to complement discussions on the proposed Casiguran mariculture park project.

“If approved, the project will include the establishment of a land-based nursery, techno-demo cages, broodstock hatcheries and training,” Puyat said.

The implementation of the project is expected to increase the area’s fish production by at least 50 percent and provide additional sources of income for the province’s fisherfolk, Puyat added.

The visit to Palawan, includes an ocular inspection of the coastal barangay of Panacan in the town of Narra and a presentation on the proposed coastal resource management.

Puyat said the project will involve alternative livelihood and training for the area’s fisherfolk; establishment and maintenance of fish sanctuaries;  mangrove reforestation; riverbank rehabilitation; and training on resource management to address the depletion of resources and environmental degradation of Palawan ‘s coastal waters.

Puyat said a fisheries cooperation agreement between BFAR and AZTI Tecnalia covers joint activities in research projects on biotechnology, food technology, sustainable management of the marine environment, aquaculture and responsible fishing.

The accord also proposes an exchange of researches, trainers and professional experts and the coordination of research campaigns with the Basque government, Puyat said.