As per the results of the latest monitoring of the coastal water of the province last January reveals that the marine products of Capiz are still free from the deadly red tide organism and, therefore safe to eat. Aquaculturist Audie Belargo of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), informed that Capiz has been known as the “Seafood Capital of the Philippines” that primarily produces milk fish (bangus), prawn, mud crab, oyster, mussel, seaweeds and grouper.
Arthur Yap, Agriculture Secretary, explained that the authority has vowed to continue the efforts in sustaining the development and modernization of the Philippine fishery and aquaculture industry. Yap expressed that last year the fisheries and aquaculture subsector was top growth driver, expanding 6.81 percent in production volume and contributing 25.44 percent or a fourth of total farm output for the year.
Bureau of Agricultural Statistics Chief Eric Piansay of Capiz informed that in 2007 commercial production of the province was recorded at 22,783 metric tons, 13,790 metric tons on municipal fishing and 33,860 metric tons on aquaculture. Piansay conclude that the DA has teamed up with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and of Environment and Natural resources (DNER) in order to sustain the efforts in the country’s aquaculture industry so that it could manage the development of the aquaculture sector to mitigate its negativity on the environment.
