BFAR and Jiabong LGU have recently met difficulties due to pollution and siltation. But they are focused to invest in mussel farming. Jiabong Mayor Chanita Gabieta in her speech admitted the loss of income for those dependent on mussels. She welcomed the new technology offered by BFAR’s Regional Director John Albeladejo and his provincial counterpart Rolando Ay-ay.
According to Gabieta she has spearheaded the coastal clean up of some 67 hectares of mussel areas and the team has collected some 37 trucks of pollutants. Experts told that on an average the company has the capacity to deliver 20 tons of mussels daily, production these days have been down to almost zero. The same situation is happening in Tarangnan, Villareal and in Catbalogan City.
It is noticed that lack of existing regulation on the proper farm establishments resulted on unsustainable practices such as placing the stakes too close to each other which generally impeded water circulation, in turn, negatively affecting dissolved oxygen concentrations in the water column.
John Meniano, a fishery expert said that the raft method will be placed side by side with the staking method for mussel farmers to discover the difference in yield and effect to the environment. BFAR RD Albaladejo pointed out that BFAR will provide the farm inputs but will make beneficiaries pay to be rolled over to other mussel farmers.
