DA-BFAR to set up 252

community fish landing

centers nationwide
Published February 9, 2015 11:27pm

The Department of Agricultures Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources (DA-BFAR) will establish 252 Community Fish Landing
Centers (CFLCs) in strategic areas nationwide to improve the socioeconomic conditions of fisherfolk communities with high poverty
incidence.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala told the good news during the
projects launching in Tanza, Cavite, on Friday, February 6. The
CFLCs are under BFARs umbrella program Targeted Actions to
Reduce Poverty and Generate Economic Transformation (TARGET),
which was launched in November last year.
The construction of the fish landing centers is part of the
governments commitment to deliver precise interventions and
promote inclusive growth in the fishery sector, said Alcala. The DA,
through the BFAR, is targeting to reduce fisheries post-harvest
losses from 25% to 18% or even lower, he added.
The CFLCs, each costing P2.85 million, will house post-harvest
equipment and tools that will enable fisherfolk to preserve the good
quality of their fish and fishery products, which they could sell for a
higher price. Local consumers will also benefit from the fish landing
centers as they will have better access to safe and quality fishery
commodities. The facilities will also be opened as venues for skills
trainings on disaster-resilient fisheries-based livelihoods and

resource management such as monitoring fish catch and stock

assessment.
BFAR national director Asis G. Perez said the bureau made use of its
own fisherfolk database and the Registry System for Basic Sector in
Agriculture (RSBSA) of the Department of Budget and Management
(DBM) with the assistance of the National Anti-Poverty Commission
(NAPC) in determining the sites where the CFLCS will be established.
Based on NAPCs recommendation, the areas were assessed based
on poverty incidence, municipal density, fish production, number of
registered fisherfolk and number of existing fish ports and fish
landing areas.
Upon completion, Perez said, the CFLCs will be operated by the local
government units (LGUs) and later on by fisherfolk cooperatives.
Meanwhile, BFAR, in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc.
(Smart), launched the Boat Admeasurement Mobile Application to
fast track the national program on the municipal fishing vessels and
gears registration (BoatR). Under this program, BFAR will provide
municipal agriculture officers a tablet where the mobile application
can be accessed.
BFAR also announced the first 100 municipalities who completed
their fisherfolk database under the national program for municipal
fisherfolk registration or FishR. Perez said each municipality will
receive fisheries livelihood projects amounting to P2 million from the
bureau.
Senate Committee Chair on Agriculture and Food Sen. Cynthia Villar
expressed optimism for the development these projects would bring
the fisheries sector especially the fisherfolk and fish workers.

The government, through the DA, is making progress in realizing

our goals. Let us continue our concerted and collective programs for
the benefit of the sector, she said. DA-BFAR news release
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