THE CITY Agriculturist Office is fast-tracking the declaration of mariculture parks to cover the gap in fisheries production and demand due to its increasing population.
Aimee Evora, Fishery Resources Management Services Division acting head, said the city is still heavily reliant on neighboring provinces.
“Our fisheries production in Davao City is really insufficient compared to our population. So, now we still rely on others because our production is not enough to feed the whole city,” Evora said during the iSpeak Media Forum on Thursday, Sept. 18.
At present, the city imports fish from General Santos City of South Cotabato and the province of Davao Oriental.
Evora said they are eying Lasang and the Matina Aplaya-Punta Dumalag as locators for the mariculture parks. Declaring both areas will ensure funding from the city government and livelihood projects for the fisherfolk.
“Hopefully, if the ordinances will be approved, we can expand the mariculture area in Lasang and lure investors as the price and marketing are good,” she added.
As of June, tilapia production stood at 22.87 metric tons; hito posted 385.99 metric tons; mariculture fish had 390.3 metric tons; and municipal fishing posted 665 metric tons.
Mariculture production was attributed to the Punta Dumalag Mariculture Livelihood Project.
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).
Evora said the proposal is still pending at the committee on agriculture, chaired by Councilor Ralph Abella.
Photo courtesy of the City Government of Davao
