Artificial reefs eyed to boost Pangasinan town’s fish production

BINMALEY, Pangasinan, Philippines – The municipal agriculture office here will install artificial reefs made of concrete and iron bars in the waters off Barangay Buenlag to encourage fish to stay and spawn.

At least 85 artificial reefs will be placed into the sea for barnacles and other seaweeds to grow on.

The seaweeds will serve as food for the fish, municipal agriculturist Butch Ferrer said.

Aside from the artificial reefs, palm fronds and bamboo poles will also be placed into the water.

The project is expected to benefit local fishermen, particularly members of the Buenlag Fisherfolks Association, who will watch over the area to prevent intrusion by dynamite fishers.

The Department of Agriculture and the municipal government provided P850,000 and P150,000, respectively, for the project.

Ferrer said they had installed similar artificial reefs off Barangay Sabangan, which improved the fish population in the area. 

He said they plan to install the reefs by this month or May, when the sea is calm.

This town has the largest fishpond area in Pangasinan, but it has no fish pens and cages, Ferrer said.

The town’s fish production depends on its 3,120 hectares of fishponds, which produce 8,580 metric tons of malaga, bangus and shrimps every year.

Ferrer said with the artificial reefs, fish might stay and spawn in the area, where food for them is abundant.