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Press Release
Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
Regional Office No. 5
San Agustin, Pili, Camarines Sur

BFAR-Bicol, LGUs, stakeholders join “Fish is Life Festival”, Fish Conservation Week

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Bicol joined the 1st Fish is Life Festival in nationwide celebration of the 47th Fish Conservation Week or FISHCON (October 17-23) at the Megatrade Hall 1 in SM Mega Mall B on October 18-20, 2010.

The festival featured a 3-in-1 show, namely Kaugnay Ako, Kabalikat Kami and Kaya Natin where all the key players of the fishery sector come together to provide the public relevant information and technical know-how about the fisheries industry and to promote quality seafood products at factory prices.

With the theme “Asenso sa pangisdaan makakamit sa sama-samang pagtutulungan," government agencies such as the BFAR including its regional offices and national centers, other national government agencies, non-government agencies and fisherfolk organizations showcased their banner programs under the KAUGNAY AKO agency exhibits.

Meanwhile, producers of various kinds of fish and fishery products offered their products for sale at reduced prices under the KABALIKAT KAMI Producers Show with free taste testing, free product samples and other promos for the early birds.

BFAR-Bicol showcased the capiz shells handicraft of Sorsogon City which is becoming a profitable livelihood for the red tide-affected fisherfolk and their families along with other fishery products from Bicol such as Tiwi, Albay’s seaweed noodles.

Moreover, the festival also featured lectures and techno-demos on various livelihood opportunities in fisheries including strategies on how to conserve and protect the aquatic resources in the KAYA NATIN Techno-Livelihood Seminar Series.

BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento Jr. said that the festival aims to provide a one-stop shop that would enable the public to understand the intricacies of the sector as well as to provide them livelihood opportunities that they could venture in especially in their hometown provinces.

Meanwhile, BFAR-Bicol Regional Director Dennis del Socorro has called on the participation of the Local Government Units (LGUs) to hold their own activities in the celebration of the weeklong event along with the BFAR-initiated installation of streamers and media plugging regionwide.

In Sorsogon province, fingerlings dispersals and stocking to communal waters were conducted in the municipalities of Barcelona, Bulan, Casiguran, Castilla, Donsol, Gubat, Juban, Magallanes and Pilar. Seaweed seedlings dispersals were held in Juban and Magallanes. Moreover, coastal clean-up activities were also held in Casiguran, Donsol and Juban. Mangrove planting and reforestation were also done in Casiguran and Prieto Diaz. In the town of Casiguran, other activities were educational tour, visitation of fishponds, symposium, parlor games and contests on fishing activities as well as awarding of the outstanding fisherfolk leader. In the whaleshark town of Donsol, the LGU held information, education and communication (IEC) activities about the Fish Conservation Week in coastal barangays, schools and dissemination through an FM radio station. A hands-on demo on danggit was conducted in Gubat town. In Juban, the LGU sponsored a lecture on tilapia culture, seaweed farming, hands-on demo on bangus deboning, sisig bangus, seaweeds noodles/chips, deboned anchovy and film-showing on fish sanctuary as well as MFARMC meeting. For its part, the City government of Sorsogon conducted participatory coastal resources assessment in coastal barangays, coastal clean-up and created an on-call, 24-hour dive team for the immediate response action for manta rays protection and conservation during its breeding and migration.

In Camarines Sur, the LGU of San Fernando strengthened its CRM Program with the significant participation of BAR and NGO-Bicol Convergence for Development Institution as partners; Inland Fisheries Resource Management; awarded fishing gears to fisherfolk as livelihood project and dispersed tilapia fingerlings. In the municipality of Cabusao, the activities were coastal clean-up, coastal tree planting, registration of fisherfolk and fingerlings dispersal to fishpond operators and communal waters. In Barcelonita Fisheries School in Cabusao, the FishCon Week Celebration held skills contest on fish feed formulation, bangus deboning, gill net construction and fishpond lay-outing. Coastal clean-up activities were scheduled in Ragay and San Jose while tilapia fingerling dispersal was slated in Canaman. The source of fingerlings is the Regional Freshwater Fisheries Center of BFAR-5. In Libmanan, the LGU sponsored coastal cleanup and scubasurero activities on October 22.

In Catanduanes, the BFAR Provincial Fisheries Office conducted information dissemination drives to the community and schools.

Meanwhile in Tabaco City, a fish health management and sustainability of the naturally produced native fish and fingerlings dispersal for upland and coastal barangays was held.

Likewise, the Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (RLECC) Sub Committee on Fishing and Marine Environment Protection composed of various law enforcement and regulatory agencies in Bicol (headed by BFAR) also put up tarpaulins in their respective offices to support the FISHCON. (rcanabe)

*Additional information taken from www.bfar.da.gov.ph

BFAR national and regional officials showed full support in the celebration of the Fish is Life Festival held at SM Megamall on October 18-20, 2010.

The BFAR-Bicol exhibit featured the capiz shells products from Sorsogon City during the 1st Fish is Life Festival at SM Megamall on October 18-20, 2010.


BFAR national and regional officials showed full support in the celebration of the Fish is Life Festival held at SM Megamall on October 18-20, 2010.	The BFAR-Bicol exhibit featured the capiz shells products from Sorsogon City during the 1st Fish is Life Festival at SM Megamall on October 18-20, 2010.