ILOILO CITY (PIA) — The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) recently sealed an agreement with its public and private stakeholders for the conservation and enhancement of Blue Swimming Crab (BSC) in Western Visayas.
After getting a “red rating” as a BSC source, BFAR-6 crafted an “Adopt a Village” project involving various stakeholders to promote sustainable fisheries management and community development. The end objective is to improve the BSC population in the region.
During the ceremonial signing of the public-private community partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the local implementation of the Adopt-a-Village Project, BFAR regional director Remia A. Aparri emphasized in her welcome message that it is crucial to seal a public-private partnership as the agency continues to communicate the conservation plan and implement policies to ensure the long-term sustainability of blue swimming crab industry in the country.
“It is high time that we sign and seal the fate of our “kasag” or crab industry that is sustainable, responsibly sourced, participative, and science-driven, with the community at the forefront. “
Aparri emphasizes the importance of public-private partnership in achieving the vision of getting rid of the red rating and have it changed to a yellow or good alternative rating.
Having the red rating means that there are occurrence of overfishing and harvesting of “juvenile crabs” and egg-bearing females that has resulted to the decline of BSC population, prompting conservation concerns in the Visayan Sea.
In order to achieve the yellow rating, it must at least address the need for BSC data collection, transparency, overfishing, adoption of best fishing practices, and compliance with fishery laws, among others.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Esther E. Bayate said the MOU signing is an important step to address the challenges faced by the BSC industry and to gradually meet its objectives to be rated as “yellow” or a good alternative export source of the commodity that is aligned with the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) Seafood Watch Program standards.
“The agreement lays down the broad outline of the Adopt-a-Village component of the shared public-private community partnership with the domestic BSC industry,” said Bayate.
She further noted that the government has formed such innovative partnerships to promote social welfare, education, and even food distribution programs.
She further noted that the government has formed such innovative partnerships to promote social welfare, education, and even food distribution programs.
“The concept behind the Adopt-a-Village program carries on the tradition of neighbor-helping-neighbor that has made our country what it is today- a vibrant and vigorous nation that deals with its strong faith in the future,” added Bayate.
Representatives from a total of 14 parties, both from the public and private sectors including the BFAR, local government units, processors and exporters, non-governmental organizations, academe, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ”Fish Right” Program, and some fishers’ associations, signified their commitment and support in formalizing a common implementation framework and reference points to benefit the fishers and other supply chain actors in the blue swimming crab industry in the country. (AAL/AGP/PIA 6)
