Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) personnel supervised over the weekend the test run of 30-footer fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) boats with 18 horsepower (HP) diesel engines for the 22 Recto Bank fishermen, who figured in a sea “collision” with a Chinese vessel.
The boats can now be used by the fishermen-beneficiaries to fish within the municipal waters abundant with fishes like tulingan, galunggong, tambakol, gulyasan, dalagang-bukid, talakitok, sapsap and tamban, among others, while they wait for the restoration of their motherboat, the F/B Gemver 1.
The distribution of the fiberglass boats is part of an existing livelihood assistance program of the DA-BFAR called FB Pagbabago, under which a boat is awarded to and shared by two family-beneficiaries who will ensure that the vessel is responsibly used and maintained. The program has already distributed a total of 15,000 boats to fishermen since its launch in 2016.
Made from fiberglass materials, these boats are hardier and more resistant to rot, corrosion and harsh marine environments, and are easier to assemble and repair compared to their wooden counterparts. To top it all, they are engineered to be disaster-resilient that ensures the safety of our fisherfolk at sea.
The fiberglass boat distribution of the DA-BFAR to the 22 Recto Bank fishermen is an effort of the government to prioritize the immediate recovery of the livelihood of the fishermen after the maritime incident they encountered.