Fish park seen to bring jobs, peace to Sulu

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The sea just may hold the key to long-awaited peace in restive Sulu province.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has established a mariculture park in a cove in Siasi, Sulu, which would bring jobs and security to the province long wracked by abductions and bombings.

The Siasi Mariculture Park and Aqua-Tourism project would enable local fishermen to catch and process high-value fish species and seaweed. It is located in a cove on Tara Island and is under the supervision of the local government unit 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 cages. Fish farmed by this method are of better quality than fish farmed in ponds or tanks.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala had earlier said that Tara Island was the perfect site for a mariculture park because of its pristine crescent-shaped cove, which could be closed off with nets.

The 30-hectare mariculture park has 40 cages measuring four by four meters. Thirty-two of the pens were constructed using a P2.4 million fund from the BFAR.

The municipal government provided all the other amenities such as a mooring system, floating multipurpose hall, service boats and fingerlings, among other things.

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 a livelihood for their wives who would help process their catch.

“This is just the beginning of a better life for the residents of Siasi,” Muksan said in a statement.

Sulu Rep. 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 of Sulu are among the richest fishing grounds in the country. But because of poor infrastructure and security problems on the island, investments in agriculture had barely trickled in over the years.