Local bangus industry now worth P16B

DAGUPAN CITY–The entire bangus industry is now worth P16 billion in terms of current value of fresh harvest, according to Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Cesar Drilon Jr. during the 2nd National Bangus Congress here last Thursday.

Drilon said that today, bangus is the country’s top aquaculture product employing close to 300,000 fish farmers, entrepreneurs, processors and workers. Last year, we exported about $3.4 million worth of bangus products, a five-fold increase over the record in 2000 which was about $660,000, he said.

Bangus comprises 160,000 metric tons or six percent of total fish production of 2.7 million metric tons, according to Drilon.

He added that the latest technology the government is pushing now which has gained wide acceptance is raising bangus using sea or marine cages in coastal areas. In Eastern Visayas, 20 potential sites covering 10,000 hectares for bangus mariculture have been identified, he said. Of these, nine are now operational.

Drilon said that in the next five years, the government intends to expand bangus production area by about 3,200 hectares which would generate jobs for about 86,300 individuals.

To attain this objective, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will team up with the Development Bank of the Philippines to make an inventory of foreclosed fishponds and then offer these to interested parties, particularly the more responsible and conscientious fishpond operators and establish five more Central Bangus Hatcheries in Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Albay, Quezon and Mindoro Oriental.

He said that two weeks ago, a team of scientists from the Norwegian government together with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) technicians have started conducting environmental assessment of production areas in Ilocos region. "Hopefully, through this initiative we would find more sustainable and environment-friendly ways in raising bangus, thus preventing fish kills in the future," Drilon said.

He urged the bangus stakeholders to continuously monitor and ensure the quality and safety of our fish farm environments and products. This is mainly because more and more fish-importing nations in Europe and around the world put top priority on consumer’s health and safety, he said.

He urged them to follow religiously the environment-friendly protocols BFAR issued for fish farmers, breeders, feed millers and other industry players.

Drilon noted that despite the government initiatives to improve the bangus industry, there remains many other issues and problems that need to be solved like reduction of production cost and improving the farming management system to maximize production. He said that 220,000 hectares of inland farm areas with an average production of one metric ton per hectare should have the ideal production of 2.5 metric tons per hectare.

Meanwhile, Drilon noted that since the first Bangus Congress also held in this city in May 2003, they were able to unify the different stakeholders in the industry into the Bangus Council of the Philippines. "This is a milestone that the industry has achieved," Drilon said.

During the induction of the council members in January 2004 in Dusit Hotel, Makati, a set of sectoral recommendations were initially identified. "And I hope that this Congress will consider them and come out with a resolution," he added..

Since the first Congress, he said that they have been vigorously implementing and improving the "Bangus Roadmap" as well as the National Milkfish Development Program. These initiatives are aimed at increasing milkfish production, improving the quality of processed products and establishing new markets here and abroad, he added.

He said that DA-BFAR have exerted efforts and poured resources in expanding the bangus breeding and hatchery facilities nationwide so that in the near future, producers will no longer depend on gathering fry from the wild.