Marcos signs laws to enhance fish, marine hatcheries in Mindanao

FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Photo from the official Facebook page of Bongbong Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has enacted laws establishing a freshwater fish hatchery in Agusan del Sur and an aquaculture marine hatchery in Zamboanga City.

Republic Act (RA) No. 12074, known as the Act Establishing a Freshwater Fish Hatchery in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, and RA No. 12075, the Act Establishing a Multi-Species Marine Hatchery in Zamboanga City, were both signed on November 12 and published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday.

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Under RA No. 12074, the Department of Agriculture—Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) is required to conduct a full-scale feasibility study prior to the construction of the fish hatchery in Talacogon.

This study must comply with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) requirements.

“Within two (2) years after the construction of the freshwater fish hatchery, the DA-BFAR, through a memorandum of agreement, shall transfer its management to the local government of the Municipality of Talacogon. It shall implement a training and phasing-in program for local government personnel on the management and operation of the hatchery,” it read.

Meanwhile, RA No. 12075 also requires the DA-BFAR to conduct a feasibility study on the multi-species marine hatchery project in compliance with DBM requirements.

The transfer of the management of the multi-species marine hatchery to the local government of Zamboanga must also occur within two years after its construction.

“The DA-BFAR shall conduct continuing research and experimentation on the breeding and production of marine species, especially as they apply to local conditions, to discover new methods and technology that shall benefit the fisheries industry,” the law further specifies.