Agriculture Secretary William Dar inaugurated the 62-footer fishing and patrol boat on September 9, 2020 in Mabini, Davao de Oro.

The fishing vessel is equipped with fish hold hatch and chiller supported with four units “Pakura”, which will serve as catcher boats.

Funded by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the P5.25-million FBCA Davao Pacific Bluefin aims to make the fisherfolk of Davao Region self-sufficient.

Surrounded by vast fishing grounds namely the Davao Gulf, Pujada and Malalag Bays, and the insular waters going to Saranggani Bay, Davao region is a source of various fisheries and aquatic species.

As such, the fishing vessel is expected to enable the local fishers to explore fishing grounds beyond the 15-kilometer boundary.

According to Dar, compared to the 32-footer boats previously developed by BFAR, which limits the area of coverage to 5-8 kilometers only, the bigger vessels can cover wider area of municipal waters.

“This particular model can also withstand rough seas, and may be used as Patrol Boats under the Bantay Dagat initiative,” the Secretary added.

The agri chief stressed that fishers must be the first protector of the seas.

“Protect the seas and protect each other,” he said.

In his message, Dar underscored the importance of clustering in the fishery subsector.

“Clustering and consolidating is not only for crops and livestock. It is also important for the fisherfolk to come together and perform collective actions,” Dar explained.

The Secretary also urged the stakeholders of the subsector to adapt the Big Brother, Small Brother concept for equitable development.

“Hindi lamang malalaking negosyo ang yayaman, kundi maging mga maralitang mangingisda din,” Dar said. (Adora Rodriguez, DA-AFID)