MANILA, Philippines—The sea might be the key to the long-awaited peace in the restive Sulu province.
The Department of Agriculture has launched a mariculture park in a cove in Siasi, Sulu, which could bring jobs and security in the province that has long been wracked by kidnappings and bombings.
The Siasi Mariculture Park and Aqua-Tourism project, which will enable local fishers to catch and process high-value fish species and seaweeds, is located at a cove on Tara Island under the supervision of the local government and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Mariculture involves the cultivation of fish species and other marine organisms in a part of the open sea that is enclosed with pens or tanks. Fishes farmed using this method has higher quality than fishes farmed in fish tanks or ponds.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala earlier said that Tara Island would be a perfect site for a mariculture park because of its pristine crescent-shaped cove, which could be closed with nets.
The 30-hectare Siasi mariculture park has 40 units of 4m x 4m fish cages, 32 of which were built from the P2.4-million funds provided by the BFAR. The municipal government has provided all other amenities such as the mooring system, the floating multi-purpose hall, fingerlings and service boats, among others.
Siasi Mayor Arthur Muksan said the local government was pleased with the project as it would increase the income of local fishermen. It would also provide livelihoods for their wives, who would help in the processing of their catches. “This is just the beginning of a better life for the residents of Siasi,” Muksan said in a statement.
Sulu Representative Nur-Ana Sahidula urged the residents to cooperate with the government. “We don’t need guns to address the crises we are in; rather we have to work hard and pursue our roles as responsible parents,” she said.
The waters off Sulu are one of the richest fishing grounds in the country. But because of poor infrastructure and security problems on the island, investment in agriculture barely trickled in over the years.
“ARMM and Mimaropa had consistently been the top two fish-producing regions in the country. However, the two regions received the least budgetary support for the past many years,” BFAR Director Asis Perez said.
Perez, who visited the area recently, said the prices of the high-value fishes caught in Sulu have often been reduced due to poor processing.
In fact, most of the expensive fishes caught in the area ended up being dried, which lowered their volume and quality.
“A kilo of lapu-lapu in Manila is pegged at no less than P250. Here in Siasi, a kilo of dried lapu-lapu sells at only P160 per kilo or even less,” Perez explained.
BFAR is also studying the viability of establishing a cold storage plant in the area. For the meantime, the agency said it would provide a mini-ice maker to ensure the quality of the fresh catch.
BFAR will also provide 100 sets of ropes and floaters to jumpstart the farming of seaweeds on Tara Island, while local government will provide for the seaweed propagules.
This will benefit a quarter of the 400 family-residents on the island alone.
The DA also extracted a promise from the local government to strengthen its coastal protection program. BFAR said it would provide motor engines for the same number of bancas that would be provided by the LGU. “One unit will be given to each of the coastal Bantay Dagat volunteer group in the 28 coastal barangays (villages) of Siasi,” Perez said.