Feature: Lobster culture for better future
By Fretcher D. Magatao
The island of Siargao in the province of Surigao
del Norte has been known as attractive place for tourists. Its gorgeous white
beaches, enchanting lagoons, caves, sand bars, coral reefs, bizarre rock
formations, exotic wildlife, different crops and rice fields, waterfalls and a
large mangrove forest reserve create a longing to every adventurist.
Not known to many, Siargao is also a home of great
farmers and fishers. Aside from earning through the visits of the local and
foreign tourists, residents also rely heavily on agriculture and fisheries as
their source of income.
One of the towns frequently visited by tourists is
the municipality of Del Carmen. Hidden in its area is the longest contiguous
mangrove stand in the Philippines, spreading to over 4,000 hectares. The local
government unit headed by Mayor Alfredo Coro II, in partnership with government
agencies and private sectors, has gradually converted the small municipality to
an “eco-town” to help the residents cope with financial challenges and the effects
of climate change.
“Del Carmen is greatly challenged among other
municipalities. The only way to move up is through partnership-driven programs.
We may be a fifth-class municipality but we act like first-class citizens,”
Coro said during an environmental and climate change workshop.
Faced with trials, the local government endeavored
to coordinate with government and non-government organizations to educate and
equip its residents on livelihood activities to suffice their needs.
Earning support from the government
The municipality is rich with natural resources
that are ready to be utilized. Such is its much supply of spiny lobsters which
can be found anywhere in its tropical waters.
Since there are available juvenile lobsters and
most of the fishers can make a catch when they cast their nets for fishing, the
Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of the locality thought of teaching them
about lobster fattening using nets for cage culture. “We thought of starting a
lobster fattening project after seeing its benefit as additional source of
income for the fishers,” said Vicente Comandante, Municipal Agriculturist of
Del Carmen.
The knowledge gained by the fishers made them
decide to start an association named Del Carmen Fisherfolk Association
(DELCAFIA) in 2011 with 54 members. Its main line of business is lobster
fattening and selling its produce onspecial occasions or when the demand is
high.
Starting from six cages, the business grew and its
produce has been sold and known in the island and Surigao City. Then on, the
association added more juvenile lobsters for fattening to meet the demand of
the market. “Since there is a great demand during Christmas and New Year,
especially Chinese New Year, all of our harvest will be sold out,” said Domingo
Cortes, Chairman of DELCAFIA.
An average sales of P60,000 to P80,000 is recorded
per harvest during the early years of its operation from 2011 to 2013 with the
usual harvest of twice a year depending on the demand of the consumers.
Considering the need for expansion, the
association searched for opportunities which they can access fund for
additional cages, staff house, boat and capital for the purchase of juvenile
lobsters and its food.
Through the effort of the association and the
support of MAO, DELCAFIA has accessed fund amounting to P250,000 through the
DA–Mindanao Rural Development Program–Community Fund for Agricultural
Development (MRDP-CFAD) in 2013.
The support from MRDP has allowed the association
an additional staff house, eight cages, motorized boat and additional working
capital. These translated to a better business such as an additional 200
juveniles and a boat for the transportation of their lobsters to the buyers or
the market.
“This year’s Chinese New Year has allowed us to
earn P150,000 for one harvest, equivalent to lobsters weighing to a total of 60
kilos with a selling price of P 2,500/kg. We got better harvest and earning
through the intervention from the government,” said Cortes.
Better profit from every harvest has inspired the
members of DELCAFIA. “Since the business has expanded and been making better
sales, the members of the association have been contributing wasted fish for
the lobster’s food in order to hasten its growth,” said Arlon Donoso, Vice
Chairman of the association.
MRDP is a program implemented under the Department
of Agriculture jointly funded by the World Bank and the local government units.
The successful implementation of the projects in Mindanao inspired the
government to level up its scope through the Philippine Rural Development
Program (PRDP) today.
PRDP as the upscale version of MRDP introduces
innovations to address current and emerging challenges and make rural
development more effective. It is a six-year national government platform for
an inclusive, value chain-oriented and climate resilient agriculture and
fisheries sector. (DA-13/PIA-Caraga)
SurSur joins “Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s month”
celebration
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 4 (PIA) – Both
the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAg) and the Provincial Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources Office (PFARO), this province, have joined in this year’s
celebration of “Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s month this May.
Chief provincial agriculturist Marcos Quico and
chief provincial fishery officer Luisito Yu said that they had lined-up
month-long activities to observe the special occasion.
On the part of OPAg, Quico bragged that farmers
had always been given due recognition especially during this time of the year.
Yu, for his part, also told media in a separate
interview about important events that had been taken part or yet to be
undertaken by their office, citing Motorcade/Opening Program and Installation of
Fisherfolk Director at Tavern Hotel in Surigao City on May 2; Tilapia Fingerlings Dispersal in the Communal
Water and Fishpond area at Gamut, Tago on May 5; Orientation on R.A. 10654 at
Balanghai Hotel in Butuan City on May 12; Fish Processing Demo at Burgos,
Cortes on May 19-20; and Culmination Program in Surigao City on May 31.
With the theme “Mangingisdang Director para sa Mas
Matatag na Balikatan,” the PFAR chief bared that fishing industry here had
remained sustainable and profitable for the marginal fisherfolk.
Since the start of the year, a total of 77,750
pieces of tilapia fry/fingerlings had been produced, 42,250 pieces of which had
been distributed by their office.
Meanwhile, Quico once again admitted that rice
yield in the province had been hit by mild El NiΓ±o last year and later affected
by brown plant hopper (BPH) early this year.
Nevertheless, he assured that government had laid
down mitigating measures to cushion the impact of both. (Radyo ng
Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
SurSur COMELEC assures readiness on May 9 polls
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, May 4 (PIA) – The
Commission on Elections (COMELEC), this province, has assured the public they
will be all set come May 9, 2016 polls.
Atty. Raquel Limbaco, provincial election
supervisor (PES), said that everything would be ready until complete delivery
of all vote counting machines (VCM), ballots, and ballot boxes to their
respective destinations, adding that it would just be a matter of time.
She likewise indicated that the Philippine
National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Education, and
all other stakeholders were all geared up to carry out their respective roles
for the same elections.
Meanwhile, Atty. Limbaco advised state workers
“not to engage in any partisan political activities,” citing the Omnibus
Election Code (OEC), Civil Service Commission, and other related statutes in
this regard.
On apprehensions that official vote receipts could
be seen or known by others, the provincial polls chief clarified that nobody
but only the voters themselves could take a look at the contents of such, also
saying that “taking home the receipt is an election offense.”
Likewise, she reminded the public that poll
precincts would start to serve at 6:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m.
Moreover, Atty. Limbaco said that an “express lane”
would be provided for those who had to be given priority to cast their votes
like members of the press, election workers, and others holding similar tasks.
(Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
