DA-7 to set up mariculture parks

The government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA) is going to set up mariculture parks in the Visayas in order to arrest the problem of depleting marine species due to over-fishing.

DA-7 regional director Ricardo Oblena announced that government will pour in investments in mariculture facilities, designed to produce finfishes through seacarge cultures like seaweeds farming, Bangus, Siganids, Groupers, Red Snappers, aquasilviculture, mussel culture, oyster culture, searanching of lobsters and seahorses in coral reefs and seagrass areas, and others that may be developed through the continuing research and development program of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and other institutions.

“We need to rest our seas from over-fishing. Mariculture is an alternative industry which has a huge potential to grow,” said Oblena.

These zones or parks are community-based marina type project in municipal waters with the involvement of municipal fisher folks and their organization within the duly designated fishery areas.

Mariculture parks are chosen for its diverse and productive environment suitable for commercial mariculture development, access to existing infrastracture supports, ice plants, and BFAR facilities and accessibility to input supply and markets, the BFAR website said.

There are 20 identified mariculture sites that have been established nationwide, where three are based in Bohol identified in the towns of Calape, Mabini and Talibon, Oblena said.

“The direction of the DA for the fisheries sector will be the creation of mariculture parks or self-contained fishery production zones with hatcheries, technical support, secure areas, feeds production and storage facilities, and marketing assistance for locators,” he said.

According to Oblena a number of foreign investors have already expressed interest to venture in mariculture.

He mentioned the Far East Agriculture Corp., a consortium of at least 10 agribusiness companies from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to explore at feasible sites for rice, corn, poultry and livestock production.

Another investor, the Brunei Investment Authority, is also preparing an investment proposal, he added.

Oblena also pointed a number of opportunities are available in the agriculture industry, especially in the areas of biofuels and aquaculture.

The country is now considered an emerging and preferred production hub in Asia for biofuels, with the region having a mandated 600-million-liter E10 requirement of ethanol by 2015, Oblena said.

E10 refers to the 10 percent blended bioethanol mix of gasoline, according to the Department of Energy. Bioethanol is derived from sugarcane.

Oblena believes that the Philippine agriculture will continue to become a major strength for the Philippine economy, although there are other industries that have become major contributors to economic strength, such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and tourism.— Ehda M. Dagooc