The government should channel more resources to the capture fisheries subsector than the aquaculture program of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Bfar), the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said on Thursday.
Of the proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget, Pamalakaya noted that P5.7 billion will be allotted to the Bfar, lower than its P5.9-billion budget this year. Of the Bfar’s budget for 2019, P606.7 million will go to its aquaculture program.
Pamalakaya said the appropriation for the aquaculture program is almost three times higher than the allocation for the development of the capture fisheries subsector. The group added that the capture fisheries subsector is “in dire need” of government support more than the aquaculture subsector.
“Only giant fishing firms are capable of investing in aquaculture, thus, they have capital and means to operate the industry. We demand an explanation from the Bfar why the allocation for aquaculture is thrice bigger than the budget for the development of capture fisheries, which is only P214.4 million,” Fernando Hicap, national coordinator of Pamalakaya, said in a statement.
According to Hicap, municipal fishermen “urgently need” subsidy because of their “poor and backward production.”
The budget for aquaculture, Hicap said, is “contradictory” to the directive of the President to dismantle illegal fish pens and fish cages in Laguna de Bay and in other areas.
“The budget for aquaculture program reflects inconsistencies in the government’s anti-fish pen campaign. It clearly shows that the Duterte government is not sincere in clearing out private fish pens and aquafarms in our fishing waters. They will even subsidize giant fishing firms whose production is based on export,” he said.