LOCAL government units (LGUs) must pursue a sustainable aquaculture program (SAP) in their water to generate jobs and help beef up food security and protein supply in the Filipino diet.

Aquaculture exporter Norberto Chingcuanco, who made the appeal, said adopting such a program is an effective way to attain sustainable food production.

Chingcuanco, vice president of Feedmix Specialist Inc. (FSI), also urged the LGUs to issue long-term aquaculture permits that will ensure long-term investments in the fishery sector.

He stressed the program should be an intentional policy program to attract private sector investments.

“These policies should contain proper zoning and site exclusivity per company or group. Long-term permits encourage needed long-term investments,” he said.

Also integrated into the SAP should be priority employment for people within the LGU. It should implement safety and labor standards. Fees and rentals should be appropriate to cover the costs of monitoring and regulations, the exporter explained.

Chingcuanco lamented that the Philippine government has made it easier to import raw fish rather than importing cooked raw materials in order to produce feeds and grow the country’s own fish.

Meanwhile, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc (PCAFI) President Danilo Fausto said the government should also boost the production of fish fries needed in fishery production.

“The BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) said tilapia fry and fingerling production was 208.35 million in 2020 while annual demand is 2.1 billion tilapia fingerlings,” said Fausto.

Fausto stressed that even local communities will benefit from an LGU-based SPA as they will have priority access over whatever food is produced.

FSI, with its affiliate firm Fisher Farms, is an integrated aquaculture company with seafood processing facilities that enable export products to reach Europe and North America.

It boasts of full traceability enabling food safety, technological innovation even in feeds, sustainable farm management and the largest of its kind in its processed fish production.

All of Feedmix’s hatcheries and feed manufacturing facilities are certified and regulated by BFAR.

Fisher Farms’ facilities are certified by Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure (SSOP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice and World Halal Council.