BALANGA CITY, Bataan, Sept. 15 (PNA) — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) distributed Monday boat repair materials to 217 fishermen in this province whose fishing boats were damaged by typhoon Glenda in July 2014.
BFAR Regional Director Wilfredo Cruz said the affected fishermen received one to four pieces of marine plywood, nails and epoxy to repair their fishing boat.
Cruz said they were a little late in giving the assistance to Bataan fishermen because they attended first to fisherfolk from other provinces in Central Luzon.
Rudy Manait, fisherman from Orion town, said that he will build a new boat out of the four pieces of marine plywood that he received.
“This is a big help. I will use these materials to build new banca,” he said.
With Cruz during the distribution were provincial agriculturist Imelda Inieto, BFAR provincial chief Danilo Abrera, Orion town Mayor Antonio Raymundo, Board member Gaudencio Ferrer, chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on agriculture, and municipal agriculturists from the 10 towns and one city of the province.
”The small fishermen are very happy with the blessings from BFAR. Thank you and I hope that our fisherfolk will continue to get support,” the mayor said.
All 11 towns and one city in Bataan, except Dinalupihan, are along the coastal areas.
Cruz said BFAR wanted to ease the lives of fishermen.
“The fisherfolk sector is still second with the highest poverty incidence. It declined to 2 percent but the BFAR target is to further reduce the poverty incidence from 4 percent to 10 percent,” the regional director said.
He said BFAR also has a plan to distribute engines to fishermen who lost their fishing boat engines during the onslaught of Glenda.
The typhoon induced big, strong waves along Manila Bay, destroying fishing boats and houses along the coastal areas of Bataan.
In a related development, Cruz said El Nino has big effect on the fishery sector.
“The fish cannot bear the extreme heat. The corals were likewise affected,” he said.
”There is a study of BFAR, together with the United States on tilapia. It is being studied on what is the proper depth for fishpond and the use of technology such as aeration to avoid fish mortality,” he added.
Cruz said that last year, production in fish hatcheries lowered by 20 percent due to El Nino phenomenon. (PNA)