BFAR Brings Fisheries Tech Caravan to Remote Coastal Areas

Remote coastal communities in the Cagayan Valley Region have directly benefited from the Fisheries Technology Caravan provided by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

BFAR Regional Director Milagros Morales said this year’s caravan brought programs and services to the coastal communities of Calayan Island, one of the remotest and hard-to-reach areas in the province, making delivery of basic services difficult to the island residents.

“We want to ensure that the island-residents will still directly benefit from the government programs and services. We have to reach out to them, especially the marginalized fisherfolk so that they will achieve sustainable livelihood and development,” Milagros said.

She said among the services availed by the Calayan fisherfolk include the provision of fishing gears, fingerlings, fiber boat glass, fishing paraphernalia and other forms of livelihood assistance.

The official added that they also extended free training to them such as fishpond management, fishery products preservation, fiber boat and fishing gears construction, among others.

Mayor Alfonso Llopis and BFAR officials also inaugurated the newly constructed Community Fish Landing Center, which was turned over to local government of Calayan.

Milagros said the Community Fish Landing Center would house post-harvest equipment and tools that will enable Calayan fisherfolk to preserve the good quality of their fish and fishery products, which they could sell for a higher price.

“Local consumers will also benefit from the fish landing center as they will have better access to safe and quality fishery commodities,” the regional director said.

Moreover, the facility will also serve as venues for skills trainings on disaster-resilient fisheries-based livelihoods, and resource management such as monitoring fish catch and stock assessment, she added. (ALM/GBV/PIA-2 Cagayan)