BFAR moves to Diliman; new assistant director named

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has moved from its previous office on Quezon Ave. to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Elliptical Rd. Diliman, Quezon City.

BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento Jr. said only the diagnostic laboratory for fish health, red tide and fish inspection unit remained in the previous address. All the others are now at the second and third floors of the PCA main building and the second to the fourth floor of the annex building, with new phone numbers 929-9597 and 929-8074.

The transfer improved the accessibility of BFAR’s services to its stakeholders and the rest of the public. The PCA is near the offices of the Department of Agriculture and many of its attached agencies and bureaus. It also houses the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority.

Sarmiento also announced the appointment of former BFAR Region 8 Director Gil Adora as assistant director. Adora succeeded lawyer Reuben A. Ganaden who retired last June 7.

A career executive, Adora previously headed two BFAR regional offices — the first from 2000 to 2002 in Region 11 where he led the establishment of the first mariculture park in the Davao Gulf, and the second from 2002 to 2006 in Region 8 where he supervised the 12 of the country’s 21 mariculture parks.

Hosting the growing of bangus, grouper and other high-value species, these parks helped increase the country’s fish production, employment and aquaculture investments.

Sarmiento said the parks also made the LGUs practice resource management to keep the industry sustainable.

This year, BFAR will continue establishing mariculture parks in Luzon, expand seaweed farming areas, develop and promote new fish-breeding and grow-out technologies, and speed up the development of the ornamental fish industry.

Sarmiento said BFAR’s emphasis on aquaculture and resource conservation over the past six years had expanded the fish industry and pushed its output to record highs of three million metric tons in 2001 and four million metric tons in 2005.