By Elmer Recuerdo
photos: Internet/E.Recuerdo
photos: Internet/E.Recuerdo
CABUCGAYAN, Biliran – Small fishermen of this town proved that bangus (milkfish) can thrive in its local waters and that there is a big potential to scale it up into a sustainable livelihood for marginal fisherfolk.
"We didn't know that it had a good potential until we tried it. It was tiring at first but eventually we got the hang of it," says Jany Tequillo, president of Baso Fisherfolk Association (BFA).
Organized in 2022, BFA is a village-based group of 17 small fishermen who are into bottom-set longline and hook-and-line fishing in the deep waters of Visayan Sea earning them an average of P3,00 to P10,000 a month.
During lean days, its members sideline on welding and construction work to meet their family's basic needs.
Last year, BFA ventured into bangus production through a P1.3-million worth of grant from BFAR's Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Phase II program. The project lessened their exposure to the dangerous high seas but instead brought them to the shallower waters of Biliran province.
"We didn't know that it had a good potential until we tried it. It was tiring at first but eventually we got the hang of it," says Jany Tequillo, president of Baso Fisherfolk Association (BFA).
Organized in 2022, BFA is a village-based group of 17 small fishermen who are into bottom-set longline and hook-and-line fishing in the deep waters of Visayan Sea earning them an average of P3,00 to P10,000 a month.
During lean days, its members sideline on welding and construction work to meet their family's basic needs.
Last year, BFA ventured into bangus production through a P1.3-million worth of grant from BFAR's Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Phase II program. The project lessened their exposure to the dangerous high seas but instead brought them to the shallower waters of Biliran province.
BFAR SAAD Program Phase 2 aims to contribute to poverty reduction and improve the living conditions of vulnerable fisherfolk and their communities by providing sustainable livelihood opportunities and support for poor fishing sectors.
The grant provided them with start-up needs comprising 6,000 bangus fingerlings, one unit of High Density Polythylene (HDPE) cage with mooring, and 270 bags of aquafeeds. BFAR also provided the group with extensive training and capacity building on bangus production.
Last December 19 and January 3, BFA made a partial harvest of 2.3 metric tons of bangus earning the group P365,325.
Tequillo says the earnings were a big fortune to the members considering the meager income that they get from fishing in deep waters. He added that the members also found a big market for bangus in the province, especially that the total production in the region is not enough to meet the demand.
He said the association plans to use the profits from their partial harvests for their second cropping, anticipated to start in its first semester this year.(CJ/jmm/ER)
The grant provided them with start-up needs comprising 6,000 bangus fingerlings, one unit of High Density Polythylene (HDPE) cage with mooring, and 270 bags of aquafeeds. BFAR also provided the group with extensive training and capacity building on bangus production.
Last December 19 and January 3, BFA made a partial harvest of 2.3 metric tons of bangus earning the group P365,325.
Tequillo says the earnings were a big fortune to the members considering the meager income that they get from fishing in deep waters. He added that the members also found a big market for bangus in the province, especially that the total production in the region is not enough to meet the demand.
He said the association plans to use the profits from their partial harvests for their second cropping, anticipated to start in its first semester this year.(CJ/jmm/ER)
