Bohol seaweed growers augment income from SAAD-aided bangus culture project

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

BOHOL—The Marianasan Seaweed Grower and Fisherfolk Association (MASEGAFA) with 32 members from Barangay Jandayan Sur, Getafe harvested at least 1,155 kilograms of bangus in September this year that were sold at P120/kilo augmenting income and financial assets with a recorded gross of P138,600 from its milkfish or “bangus” fish cage project funded from the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-7).

According to the BFAR-Bohol Provincial Fishery Office (PFO), the bangus was cultured for about three months inside the floating-designed fish cage under the SAAD program in 2020.  Bohol PFO recalled that MASEGAFA previously logged P149,930 in sales from its first bangus fish cage earmarked under the SAAD 2019 budget.

Candido Samijon, Bohol PFO head bared that the SAAD-aided project for MASEGAFA has capacitated its members for other means of profit for Getafe, Bohol fisherfolk association apart from its traditional livelihood on seaweed farming.

Samijon said that currently, the association has two existing fish cages that cover 98 square meters, measuring three meters in depth.  MASEGAFA is set to receive its third unit of fish cage this year that will be complemented with fingerlings and fish feeds just like the previous years.

The members, who are traditionally seaweed growers, won’t have to rely on a single source of income with the livelihood intervention from the SAAD program, Casquelo added.  The program managers allocated P227,800 in 2019 and another P216,900 in 2020 for the two fish cage projects, he added.

Samijon said that the project cost includes the hands-on training for the construction, management and operation of the fish cages and other operational expenses such as fish feeds.  The fingerlings, which were free of charge were sourced out from one of the BFAR-managed facilities – the Central Visayas Multi-Species Nursery Demonstration and Training Center in Calape, Bohol.

SAAD follows a three-year program scheme in which the beneficiaries are equipped and trained to become independent and self-reliant organization.  MASEGAFA is expected to run and manage the fish cage operation and its finances for the succeeding stocking of fingerlings or production, or when the organization wants to expand its fish cage project in the future, he stated. (Photos: BFAR7)