The Department of Agriculture said Tuesday it will further strengthen efforts on aquasilviculture.
Aquasilviculture is the growing of fish and other aquatic organisms within a mangrove area without cutting down a single tree.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the Philippine National Aquasilviculture Program had already planted 73,847,231 mangrove propagules or 73.85 percent of the total target as of September this year.
The PNAP is a DA program being implemented by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. It aims to develop self”sufficient fisherfolk families who are advocates of fisheries resource protection through mangrove habitat rehabilitation, promotion of aquasilviculture and establishment of community”based multi”species hatcheries.
A total of 115 units of deep-sea payao to date had been deployed under the National Payao Program, Alcala added.
Payaos are floating buoys made of steel or bamboo with coconut or palm leaves underneath and anchored in fishing grounds of considerable depth.
Meanwhile, BFAR Director Undersecretary Asis Perez said the government was also strengthening the fishery law enforcement.
Perez said the Philippines now had 27 units of 40-footer monitoring, control and surveillance vessels, 70 units of 30-footer multi-mission ships and two 50-meter vessels equipped with special tools and devices such as service fire arms, GPS, night vision goggles, scuba gears and rigid-hulled inflatable rubber boats.
Perez said the National Program for Municipal Fisherfolk Registration, or FishR, had registered 1,632,332 municipal fisherfolk as of December 16.
Municipal Fishing Vessel and Gear Registration or BoatR has registered 118,222 registered municipal boats.