BFAR in Eastern Visayas to revive Leyte Gulf

TACLOBAN CITY –– The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Eastern Visayas (BFAR-8) is bent on reviving one of the region’s rich fishing grounds whose marine production has declined for over 10 years.

BFAR-8 Director Juan Albaladejo said the Leyte Gulf, which encompasses several towns in Samar and Leyte, has been classified by their office under the “red category.”

The red category means the production of fish and other marine resources found in the body of water is declining.

Albaladejo cited overfishing as among the major factors why the resources at the Leyte Gulf declined.

The fish catch at the Leyte Gulf is around 1.8 metric tons per square kilometer in a month, way below the ideal number of five to 10 metric tons/square km.

As part of the plan to rehabilitate the Leyte Gulf, BFAR-8 entered into an agreement with Rare Philippines, a group which focuses on marine conservation.

The agreement between BFAR and Rare Philippines was signed on Feb. 7 by Albaladejo and Rocky Tirona, vice president of the conservation group.

Under the agreement, Rare Philippines, will provide assistance to BFAR on marine management by encouraging local government units and their fishermen to adopt a more sustainable and regulated fishing behavior to ensure that the marine resources at Leyte Gulf would not easily be depleted and would be enjoyed by generations to come./lzb