Zamboanga fisherfolk get P50-M loan

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has allocated P50 million in liveli in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The fund will be made available after the stakeholders complete the workshop under the Production Loan Easy Access program and are given apply for the loans, according to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

The proposed livelihood programs include mangrove nursery operations, broiler chicken and egg production and other income-generating projects.

December to February every year, stocks in the Zamboanga peninsula to replenish. Fisherfolk have the closed season for the last seven years to allow the species Sardinella Lemuru, locally known as “tamban,” to breed and spawn.

season is one of the most successful stories of conservation and protection of marine resources for

- servation efforts, local government units in several areas of the Peninsula have implemented the more stringent Market Deprivation Strategy by passing an ordinance that prohibits the sale of in the market

The strategy has resulted in an increase of catch to 152,283 metric tons in 2017 from 143,060 metric tons in 2016 .

not only result in higher sardine population but also increased the sightings and catch of big and sardines,” Piñol said.

tuna, (scad) — are gradually coming back to the point that even the people in General Santos City are getting their tuna supply from Zamboanga Peninsula, said Ed Lim, head of one of the biggest sardines manufacturing companies based in Zamboanga City.

Also, the abundant sardines catch resulted in the sprouting city that now employs over 50,000 people, including those who man

It has now grown into a P20-billion industry which exports canned and bottled sardines to many countries in the world, including Europe.

“The sustainability of the program, however, is challenged by the need to provide stakeholders, factory workers, with alternative season,” Pinol added.