BFAR TURNS OVER 62-FOOTER FISHING BOATS TO ILOCOS SUR FISHERFOLK

December 23, 2023 Provincial

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has recently turned over two units of 62-footer fiberglass fishing boats to the members of the Ilocos Sur Federated Fisherfolk Association, Inc. and Apatot Community Payao Fisherfolk, Inc. “Ito ang kauna-unahang fishing boat na naibigay
sa Ilocos Sur, from the small boats na binibigay ng BFAR, nagbibigay na ang BFAR ng fishing boat na kayang makapunta beyond 15-kilometers through its Capacitating Municipal Fisherfolk Program para mas maraming mahuli ang mga fisherfolk (This was the first fishing boat awarded to Ilocos Sur.

From small boats, the BFAR now provides fishing boats that can go beyond 15 kilometers through its Capacitating Municipal Fisherfolk Program to help the fisherfolk increase their catch.),” Martin Allayban, officer-incharge of the Ilocos Sur Provincial Fisheries Office, said. The fishing boats were funded under the BFAR’s Capacitating Municipal Fisherfolk Program, which is aimed to improve the fishing capacity and production efficiency of the fisherfolk in the province. A component of the program is the provision of hands-on training sessions to the beneficiaries which were separetely held in Subic and Sual towns in Pangasinan in May and October 2023, respectively.

The beneficiaries also received fish-aggregating devices, locally known as “payao,” and handline
fishing gears. “Sana alagaan nila ito dahil malaking tulong ito sa livelihood nila at eventually kapag nag-increase ang kanilang income from the kilos na nakukuha nila sa municipal waters. Kapag pupunta sila beyond 15 kilometers, tone-tonelada ang kanilang mahuhuli at of course makakatulong ito sa kanilang pamumuhay (I hope the fisherfolk will take good care of the fishing boats as these help improve their livelihood and eventually increase their income.  Once they fish beyond 15 kilometers, they will be able to increase their catch from kilos to tons.),” he added.

The Ilocos Sur Federated Fisherfolk Association, Inc. consists of 27 fisherfolk associations in the province with a total of 17,577 members while the Apatot Community Payao Fisherfolk, Inc. is composed of 174 members from San Esteban town. As the fisherboats were requested by the said organizations to the BFAR, Adley Canosa, 55, President of the Ilocos Sur Federated Fisherfolk Association, Inc., commended the efficient response of the government to their request from providing hands-on training up to the provision of the fishing vessel, which will truly help improve
their livelihood.

“Malaki ang maitutulong nito sa amin at madadagdagan ang aming mahuhuli dahil makakalayo na kami, hindi na lamang within municipal waters ang pwede naming puntahan (This fishing boat will help us in increasing our catch because we can now fish beyond the municipal waters.),” Canosa
said. “Lubos ang aming pasasalamat sa gobyerno para sa mga binibigay nilang tulong sa aming mga mangingisda (We are beyond grateful to the government for the assistance they provide to us, the fisherfolk.),” he ended.

(JCR/MJTAB/JMCQ, PIA IlocosSur)