MANILA – At least 15 towns in the Philippines may soon get multi-species hatcheries, as part of the initiative by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC).
SEAFDEC, which is based in Tigbauan town in Iloilo, has conducted the site assessment survey which was the first stage of the project.
It is eyeing 15 pilot hatcheries in (SEAFDEC targets 15 PHL towns for multi-species hatchery): Cebu, Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Quezon, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, and Albay.
The site assessment included aspects of sustainability, infrastructure, and eventual operation.
Also, the project seeks to boost fish production while providing jobs for rural people, especially in the coastal areas. There were about 1.6 million workers in the fisheries industry in 2015.
For now, the SEAFDEC feasibility study team is conducting its second leg scouting for ideal sites for the multi-species hatchery.
Members of the team are scouting potential sites in Zamboanga del Norte and Bantayan in Cebu. Earlier, the team was in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur.
The project is a multimillion-peso collaboration between SEAFDEC and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
SEAFDEC is a regional treaty organization established in 1967 to promote fisheries development in Southeast Asia. Member countries include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. (PNA)
