A lawmaker on Wednesday said the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 11736 establishing a multispecies marine hatchery in the Municipality of Basilisa in Dinagat Islands will aid in the recovery of the local economy.
Rep. Alan 1 B. Ecleo of the Lone District of Dinagat Islands welcomed the enactment of RA 11736 establishing a multispecies marine hatchery in Basilisa, which was recently signed into law by President Duterte less than two months before the start of the new Marcos administration.
“Our vision is to make the Marine Hatchery and Fish Farming an economic centerpiece which would provide consistent income among the fishermen of Dinagat Islands, helping eradicate poverty in the Province of Dinagat Islands,” said Ecleo, principal author of the law.
“We plan to develop the entire fisheries value chain in Dinagat so we could be a leading producer of high-value, fresh, processed fish in the Philippines and abroad.”
The law shall fund the construction of a Multispecies Marine Hatchery and transfer its management from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Department of Agriculture (BFAR-DA) to the Municipality of Basilisa after two years. During such time, the BFAR-DA will implement a training and phasing-in program for the personnel of the local government unit concerned on the management and operation of the multispecies marine hatchery.
“This law is a product of the relentless support of Dinagatnons, who have graciously entrusted to me again the privilege of being their Representative for one more term,” Ecleo said.
“This also could not have been possible without the help of BFAR under Cmdre. Eduardo Gongona, its Provincial and Regional counterparts, and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center who provided us with their technical expertise in crafting this law.”
Image credits: www.seafdec.org.ph