BFAR fish lab, livelihood opens in Pangasinan

SUAL, Pangasinan — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Ilocos region inaugurated on Tuesday essential facilities aimed at strengthening marine resource protection, improving fisheries monitoring, and increasing the income of local fisherfolk.

The agency also turned over livelihood projects to fishery groups in Pangasinan on the same day at the Pangasinan Provincial Fishery Office in this town.

The facilities and livelihood projects worth P58,253,292  were funded under the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project, said BFAR Ilocos regional director Remely Lachica.

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The investments include a mobile fisheries laboratory, an Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System (IMEMS) center, a scuba diving gear storage facility, and livelihood assistance to fisherfolk organizations.

The biggest allocation of P22.67 million went to the mobile fisheries laboratory, which will provide on-site testing and diagnostic services to fishing communities in the region.

“The laboratory will conduct water and sediment quality analysis, fish disease diagnostics, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) testing, histamine analysis and microbiological examinations to help ensure the safety and quality of fishery products,” Lachica said.

It will be deployed across the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, bringing laboratory services closer to coastal and inland fishing communities and reducing delays in transporting aquatic samples to centralized laboratories.

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A separate allocation of P10.89 million would go to the Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System (IMEMS), which will monitor licensed fishing vessels in real time within a coverage area of up to 40 nautical miles. 

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The largest livelihood-related allocation was P17.61 million for scuba diving gear and equipment, including complete diving sets, air compressors, underwater survey tools, and first-aid kits with oxygen for BFAR teams and partner local governments.

Lachica said the equipment will support underwater assessments of coastal habitats, marine resource monitoring, and fisheries law enforcement.

A storage facility for scuba diving gear worth P1.66 million will provide secure storage and maintenance for specialized equipment used in coastal habitat assessment, marine resource monitoring and enforcement. 

The BFAR Ilocos Regional Office said the investments were intended to strengthen science-based fisheries management, improve seafood safety, protect marine resources and provide alternative livelihood opportunities to fishing communities.

Meanwhile, P23.02 million worth of livelihood projects and equipment were turned over to fisherfolk groups and partner local government units.

These include P3 million for the polyculture of siganids and milkfish in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cages in Barangay Pugaro in Pangasinan’s Dagupan City.

Managed by the Ulupan na Sumisigaw ed Pugaro (USEP), the project provides eight HDPE cage units stocked with 5,200 siganids and 2,600 milkfish. It is expected to benefit 24 fisherfolk and generate 16 additional jobs, with harvesting projected in about six months.

Another P410,000 was allocated for the Development of the Salt Industry Project, which provides the Agno Fisherfolk and Agriculture Cooperative with salt-making equipment, HDPE geomembranes, water pumps, refractometers, and post-harvest and packaging materials.

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The agency also provided P2 million for pond culture projects benefiting two fisherfolk associations, each granted P1 million in allocations. The assistance includes bamboo rafts, fish shelters, fingerlings and materials for crab fattening to support the culture of milkfish, siganids and mangrove crabs./coa