Fisherfolk of 17 towns

benefit from FishCoRe

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Nov 8 (PIA)— Fisherfolk and fisheries sector stakeholders of 17 of Bohol’s 29 coastal towns would get to benefit from a national government and World Bank funded project in Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) within the next seven years.

A project implemented by the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA BFAR), FishCore aims to improve food security and resilient ecosystems and communities through improved management of fisheries resources and enhance the value of fisheries production to coastal communities in the project-covered Fisheries Management Areas (FMAs), explains BFAR National Project Management Office and project component head Joeren Yleaña.

FMAs are BFAR identified areas like a bay, gulf, lake as major fishing grounds based on stocks boundary, range, distribution, and structure of fisheries and administrative subdivisions which integrate science-based, participatory and transparent governance framework and mechanism to sustainably manage fisheries in such areas to stop overfishing, fight illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and promote food security and poverty alleviation.

Speaking during the FishCoRe Talakayan, BFAR authorities said through Fisheries Administrative Order 263 in 2019, Philippine waters are divided into 12 FMS, for more effective management and protection of these resources.

Fishcore Project would be implemented in FMA 6 which includes Region 1, Region 3, Region 4A, Region 4B, National Capital Region and Cordillera Autonomous Regions, and in FMA 9 which includes Region 7, Region 8, Region 9, Region 10 and Region 13, adds Bohol Provincial Fisheries Officer Candido Samijon.

For FMA 9 which includes Bohol, this covers Bohol Sea, Cogtong Bay and Guindulman Bay, as part of the whole 28,228 square kilometers under it.

Towns in Bohol that are set to be part of the project includes Panglao, Dauis, Baclayon, Alburquerque, Loay, Lila, Dimiao, Valencia, Garcia Hernandez, Jagna, Duero, Guindulman, Anda, Candijay, Mabini, Ubay and President Carlos P. Garcia.

Fisheries stakeholders in these towns will be supported with institutional and planning development for coastal and municipal waters with a view to maximizing ecological and socioeconomic benefits and building resilience in coastal communities.

This is through ecosystem approach to fisheries management planning and institutions, aquaculture development and management, and strengthening management of coastal resources in municipal waters, BFAR said.

Moreover, FishCoRe project stakeholders, which include fishermen, small and medium enterprises into fisheries and other marine related livelihood, learn enhanced economic value of fisheries and aquaculture through strategic and climate-resilient investments to reduce postharvest losses, expand aquaculture production, and add value to fisheries production.

Here, stakeholders get livelihood diversification and development, aquaculture and fisheries enterprise development as well as aquaculture and fisheries infrastructure.

Finally, after 7 years of implementation, stakeholders would be given capacity development so they can be responsible for overall management and operation of sustainable fisheries and resilient communities.

Through this, the project finances the technical and operational support for project management and coordination, including financial management, independent audits, procurement, environmental and social impact management, stakeholder engagement, grievance redress mechanism (GRM), monitoring and evaluation (M&E), capacity building support, and knowledge management.

By this, BFAR hopes this contributes to the achievement of the project goals through the effective and efficient management and coordination and full engagement and participation of stakeholders at all stages of implementation, as it provides adequate and timely financial, technical, and operational support to the different project implementation units to ensure that all the target activities and outputs will be delivered according to the agreed work and financial plans. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

BOHOL CORE FISHERS. Fisherfolks from southern Bohol towns facing Bohol Sea gathered to learn about their roles and responsibilities with the implementation of the P11B FishCoRe project which aims at improving sustainable fisheries, climate adaptive enterprises and resilient communities, during the FishCore Talakayan at the Parklane in Candabong Anda, Bohol. (PIABohol)