The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Central Luzon is continuously providing assistance to fishpond owners in Tarlac that could help boost their livelihood, improve their productivity and revitalize the aquaculture industry in the province.

The BFAR, through its Provincial Fisheries Office and Fisheries Production Dispersal Unit, distributed to small-scale fishpond owners in Tarlac City some 460,000 sex-reversed tilapia fingerlings to help them cope with the effects of the ongoing health crisis.

Tarlac Provincial Fisheries Officer Lanie Lamyong said in a social media post on Tuesday that the move is part of the bureau’s livelihood program to support food security and provide a sustainable source of income for the fisherfolk.

Last October 1, some 90,000 tilapia fingerlings were also awarded to fish pond operators in San Jose town, also in Tarlac.

BFAR-3 likewise released some 60,000 tilapia fingerlings in Mangilog Dam that are expected to boost the income of fish cage operators also in San Jose.

Aside from the distribution of fingerlings, the bureau also provided other assistance to fisherfolk in Tarlac such as the provision of equipment and conduct of trainings.

Last month, Lamyong led the distribution of one unit of the smokehouse and one set of smokehouse package to members of the OFW Family Circle Province Federation-Tarlac.

Likewise, she said the members of the federation underwent training on fish smoking, deboning, and bottling.

BFAR-3 regional director Wilfredo Cruz vowed the continuous conduct of these activities to ensure food is made available and affordable to help fight the threat of hunger amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“As a coping strategy, BFAR-Central Luzon carries on with activities such as these to ensure that there is a steady fish supply for the region,” Cruz earlier said in a statement. (PNA)