According to BFAR a major portion of its proposed budget has been allotted for the rehabilitation of the fishery sector in Western Visayas to the aquaculture industry. Regional Director Drusila Esther Bayate informed that their rehabilitation plan will focus on the recovery of aquaculture and captured fishery sectors to restore the production areas devastated by typhoon Frank.
Based on BFAR 6 proposal a total of P159 million was allotted to aquaculture. It is said that about 15,000 out of the 66,000 hectares of fishpond in Western Visayas region were damaged which translated to about 73,000 metric tons of damaged production. Bayate told that they will prioritize projects with short gestation period as well as seaweed projects and distribution of fingerlings for the aquaculture. She further said that for the captured fisheries the aim is to replace the lost or damaged fishing gears as soon as possible.
At the same time Bayate also encouraged owners of commercial fishing boats damaged by the typhoon to avail of the interest-free loan of the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. She also told that damage in the commercial fishing sector in both Panay and Negros have reached P3.3 billion, BFAR figures show. Negros Occidental BFAR chief Carlito Delfin had earlier urged fishing vessels owners to now submit their applications for the ACEF loans.
