The Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Mananagat sa Baliwagan from Balamban, Cebu recently harvested more than 800 kilograms of milkfish or bangus. | BFAR-7 photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The facilities of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR-7) continue their production of fish stock, such as bangus fry and fingerlings, for distribution to fisherfolk and private fishpond operators.
One of the BFAR-7 facility located in Medellin town, northern Cebu, the Community Based Multi-Species Hatchery (CBMSH), has restored its operations producing milkfish, or bangus fry, although it is still undergoing repair.
The facility was among those destroyed by the strong winds brought about by typhoon Ursula that hit northern Cebu in December 2019.
In fact, the CBMSH-Medellin recently produced 150,000 milkfish or bangus fry with larvae sourced from Central Bangus Hatchery (CBH) in Pangangan Island, Calape town, Bohol, according to BFAR-7.
The fry were harvested and stocked in Carmen Brackishwater Fish Farm (CBFF) in Carmen town, Cebu to rear it to fingerling size. The CBFF is another BFAR-7 facility engaged in bangus fingerling production.
The eight facilities of BFAR-7 are continuously operating despite the logistic and mobility problems encountered to assure the availability of milkfish fry and fingerlings for distribution to fisherfolk and private operators.
The other BFAR facilities are Lake Danao Freshwater Fish Farm in San Francisco, Cebu; Central Visayas Multi-Species Nursery Demonstration and Training Center in Calape, Bohol; Clarin Freshwater Fish Farm in Clarin, Bohol; Ubay Brackishwater Fish Farm in Ubay, Bohol; and the Multi-Species Hatchery in Ubay, Bohol.
The efforts of BFAR-7 aims to help augment the earnings of fisherfolk in the region.
The fisherfolk groups that received bangus fingerling from BFAR-7 include the Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Mananagat sa Baliwagan from Balamban and the Biasong Fishermen Association from Barangay Biasong, Talisay City in Cebu; and Kapunungang Mananagat sa Tinangnan from Tubigon town, Bohol.
The Kapunungang Mananagat sa Tinangnan had received 5,500 milkfish or bangus fingerlings for its marine floating fish cage.
On the other hand, the Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Mananagat sa Baliwagan recently harvested more than 800 kilograms of milkfish or bangus while the Biasong Fishermen Association harvested nearly 1,200 kilograms. /bmjo