THE CITY Agriculturist Office is lobbying to declare barangays Lasang and Matina Aplaya-Punta Dumalag as mariculture parks to further food sufficiency and security.
Aimee C. Evora, Fishery Resources Management and Services Division head, said the City Council is working on the local ordinance to designate the areas as mariculture parks, designed to support aquaculture activities, primarily fish farming.
Evora noted that the parks will allow a controlled environment to aid in the fish production and address demands in the city.
“We can have more control over aquaculture, and we can supply inputs to sustain food production. So, that’s what is being pushed now to establish our mariculture parks to help with food sufficiency here in Davao,” she said during the iSpeak media forum on Thursday, July 17.
Evora added that the ordinance is required to secure dedicated funding to support aquaculture and mariculture. It will also set guidelines and regulations for fish farming, production, and input allocation.
“Matina Aplaya was not actually declared as a mariculture park but only as a mariculture livelihood project. If will be declared as a mariculture park, clear regulations and prohibitions will be established, and the city government can allocate funding for our fisheries and operators soon,” she said.
The Punta Dumalag Mariculture Livelihood Project has produced 390 tons of fish from January to June 2025.
Production of high-value species such as lapu-lapu (grouper) and talakitok (trevally) is proposed in Lasang, while Matina Aplaya currently has bangus (milkfish), danggit (rabbitfish), and kitang (rabbitfish).
She recognized that local fishers could not supply the market’s needs, which is why the city still depends on nearby municipalities.
The 21st City Council already approved the proposed ordinance on first reading.
