The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) is gearing up to launch the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FISHCoRe) Project in August 2023, following the approval of the World Bank.
The seven-year project with a total funding of P11.42 billion will provide multiple fisheries interventions to enhance both ecosystems and community resilience and will benefit over 1.15 million fisherfolk, small to medium enterprises, other fisheries stakeholders, and residents in coastal communities across 11 regions and 24 provinces in the country.
The FishCoRe aims to develop aquaculture and fisheries enterprises in aqua-industrial business corridors through subprojects like satellite multi-species hatcheries, offshore mariculture in climate-resilient cages, postharvest and fish/shellfish processing, and provision of climate-resilient technologies, among many others.
Based on the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, the volume of fisheries production was recorded at 991.14 thousand metric tons in the first quarter of 2023. This reflects an increase of 2.0 percent compared with the 971.76 thousand metric tons output in the same period of the previous year.
In his Second State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on July 24, 2023, the President appeals for the revision of the Philippine Fisheries Code.
“Our Fisheries Code must be revised to incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determination of fishing areas. This approach will protect both the interests of our fisherfolk and our fisheries and aquatic resources. To this end, we will seek the support of Congress to amend the Code to guarantee sustainable development of our fisheries sector in harmony with environmental balance,” said President Marcos.
Furthermore, BFAR National Director Atty. Demosthenes R. Escoto expresses his gratitude to the World Bank and all of its partner national government agencies for helping the Bureau in preparation of the eventual implementation of the project.
“This project is a holistic approach which confronts from all sides the various long-standing issues being faced by the fisheries sector; from ensuring the sustainability of our fisheries and coastal resources for food security, to enabling maximized benefits of our fisherfolk towards poverty reduction through improved management on all facets to ensure a robust and resilient fisheries sector.” (GATS/PIA MIMAROPA)
