Ilocos fisherfolk expect a boost in their livelihood as the Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) project being spearheaded by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) along with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority is now taking shape nationwide.
As one of the identified fisheries management areas of the World Bank-funded project to be implemented for seven years, the Nagabungan Fishermen Association in Pasuquin town, Ilocos Norte province looks forward to augment their income from aquasilviculture program, a management strategy that combines and harmonizes fish production and mangrove development.
“The project is a big help for us to support our families and to improve our quality of life,” said Arnold Apostol, a fisherman from Davila in an interview on Wednesday.
Apostol’s group was among the close to a hundred fisherfolk participants during the third episode of FishCoRe Talakayan (dialogue) held at the Amici Resort in this city to raise awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the FishCoRe project through open, comprehensive, and engaging discussions.
The project has three major components namely Fisheries and Coastal Resilient Resource Planning and Management (FishCRRM); Modern and Resilient Livelihood Investments (MARLIN); and Support to Project Implementation and Management (SuPrIM).
Part of the project entails the distribution of fingerlings, the establishment of hatcheries, and the granting of assistance on post-harvest facilities to qualified fisherfolk associations who must undergo various capacity-building and financial management trainings in order to sustain the program
As project beneficiaries of the FishCoRe, Nazario Briguera, BFAR spokesperson and head of the Information and Fisherfolk Coordination Unit, told participants to “take ownership of the fisheries project” meant to enhance ecosystem and community resiliency.
Briguera said the FishCoRe Project serves as one of the lead initiatives of the government in the fishery sector to attain its goal of 100-percent food-fish sufficiency level by 2028, aligned with the national government’s efforts of modernizing the agri-fisheries industry in order to increase agricultural productivity, lower food cost, ensure food security, and make fisheries a more bankable investment alternative.
Johnny Cariaga, a fisherman from Pasuquin town, expressed gratitude to the government for initiating the project.
He underscored that a conservation project such as this can only become successful if there is a united and sincere effort both from the public and private sector to ensure that all fishery laws, rules, and regulations are properly implemented and observed.
“The project is good because it provides us an alternative source of income. We hope that this will prosper to benefit more fisher folks,” he said.
The preparation of the FishCoRe project started last year and its implementation is expected this year. (PNA)
