ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 6 received a high satisfaction rating of 4.45 out of 5 in a recent field monitoring and evaluation of its programs.
Results showed that 76 percent of the respondents reported increased catch or production due to the Bureau’s assistance.
Meanwhile, the quality, quantity, and timeliness of BFAR’s support were rated as “very good” by most fisherfolk-beneficiaries.
The Fisheries Planning and Economics Division (FPED) of the BFAR Central Office conducted the assessment on Sept. 2-6 covering the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental.
According to a news release, the FPED selected 21 random respondents to participate in the evaluation, 29 percent of whom were female and 71 percent were male.
The projects evaluated were awarded in 2023 and they include technology demonstrations, fingerlings distribution, climate-resilient fish cages, legal fishing gears and paraphernalia, fiberglass plastic-reinforced fishing boats, and post-harvest kits.
The formation of fisherfolk associations was recognized as a best practice, including technology demonstration activities which helped increase community engagement in fisheries.
It was further found out that despite the respondents’ high level of awareness of climate change, some challenges were identified such as sub-optimal fish production due to predators, pests, and the effects of El Niño leading to the high mortality rate of tilapia fingerlings.
To further improve the delivery and implementation of projects, DA-BFAR 6 plans to strengthen capacity-building initiatives, particularly in tilapia farming, as recommended by the FPED team.
BFAR also plans to intensify its Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign on proper farm management to minimize losses.
Continued monitoring of lower-producing beneficiaries of key interventions such as fish cages is also recommended to ensure that production output and income are improved, ultimately encouraging the adoption of sustainable fisheries practices within the community. (AAL/AGP/PIA 6 with reports from BFAR 6)
