SAN FERNANDO—The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Luzon is constructing 22 community fishing ports worth P65 million throughout the region to help fishermen earn more for their families.
The community fishing ports, each measuring about 1,000 square meters and amounting to P3 million, are located in Aurora, Zambales, and Bataan, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Central Luzon regional director Wilfredo Cruz said.
Once finished, all the catches of the fishermen will be delivered to the ports for retailers and whole sellers at unified prices.
Cruz said that most community fishing ports are now under construction, especially those in San Luis, Dinaluhan in Aurora and San Felipe and Cabangan in Zambales, while those in Bataan province will be built soon. All 22 ports will be operational next year, he said.
To make sure the fishermen succeed, Cruz said, the bureau will teach them marketing, management, accounting and planning.
Under the Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol’s program, the local governments will first run the ports until the fishermen learn how to run them through cooperatives.
Farmers and fishermen are fully supported by the government both financially through production inputs to make up for their neglect under the past administration.