Department of Agriculture caravan brings technology directly to fishermen

In a move to bring modern and cost-effective technologies directly to its clientele, the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has successfully concluded its fisheries technology caravan, covering 10 regions and serving tens of thousands of small fishermen, pond operators and aquaculture entrepreneurs.

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Q. Montemayor said through the DA-BFAR techno-caravan "we are giving flesh to the thrust of President Arroyo to empower our poor countrymen, particularly small and marginal fishermen, by providing them the means to engage in sustainable livelihood projects."

The techno-fisheries caravan, bannering the theme, Aquaculture for Rural Development, provides a forum for municipal fishermen, pond operators and aquaculturists to learn and adopt modern and cost-effective technologies, consult their technical problems with fishery experts and air their administrative concerns with DA-BFAR and local government officials.

Montemayor lauded the effort and time shared by the fishery experts and scientists as they volunteered their services free of charge. Aside from the DA-BFAR technical personnel, the technical team was composed of experts and scientists from the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center’s Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC-AQD) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD).

The caravan was staged in two legs of two weeks each, with the first leg held last September 2000, and the final leg from April 21 to May 6, 2001. The first leg covered Naga City for the Bicol Region, Tacloban City (Region 8), Butuan City (CARAGA), Misamis Oriental (Region 10), Iligan City (Region 9), and Batangas (Region 4).

For the second leg, the DA-BFAR techno-fisheries caravan traveled through Bulacan (Region 3), Baguio City (CAR), Cagayan Valley (Region 2) and finally to Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan (Region 1).

The team of experts conducted lectures, demonstrations and consultation on such topics as fish breeding and hatchery development, production technologies on seaweeds and other marine and freshwater species, fish processing, micro-enterprise development and livelihood financing.