Thousands of Tilapia fingerlings to be distributed to Baguio fisherfolk

04 May 2021 – Some 23,500 tilapia fingerlings will be distributed by the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) and the Cordillera office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to fisherfolks in the six barangays and the Wright Park lake to help boost fish production in the urban setting.

City Veterinarian Dr. Brigit Piok said that the tilapia distribution to the city’s fisherfolk is in line with the fish distribution and production of the BFAR in line with the celebration of Fisherfolk Month this May.

She disclosed that fisherfolks from barangays Happy Hallow, Lucnab, Atok Trail, Camp 7, Irisan and Sto. Tomas School Area will be the recipients of the Nile or black tilapia fingerlings while some 600 similar fingerlings and 500 red tilapia fingerlings was recently released at the Wright Park lake to add up to the attraction and biodiversity in the said area.

The city veterinarian pointed out that the Nile or black tilapia fingerlings are suitable for tilapia production while the red tilapia fingerlings are good for the Wright Park lake because it will serve as an added attraction for joggers and park goers frequenting the area even during the prevalence of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 pandemic.

According to her, the city has still numerous fisherfolk and farmers in the various barangays that are outside the central business district area that is why the BFAR and the agriculture department continues to provide the appropriate interventions and assistance to them through the CVAO to help in sustaining food security among the concerned stakeholders even in an urban setting.

Dr. Piok said the fingerlings was given by the BFAR for free to the concerned fisherfolk and the local government to help in providing adequate sources of livelihood to the small producers that had also been heavily impacted by the ongoing pandemic to allow them to recover.

In the case of the fingerlings released at the Wright Park pool, she explained that the same will be under the care of the park management who will also be in charge of its disposition after the tilapia is ready to be harvested within 6 months.

Beneficiaries are encouraged to ensure they will care for these for them to earn income once the tilapia will be ready for harvest within the prescribed period and for them to be able to maximize the potentials of earning income once they sell these.

Piok emphasized that two of the barangays had been identified by the CVAO and the BFAR-CAR as tilapia techno demo farm for the benefit of establishing the appropriate interventions that could be provided to the fisherfolk to improve production. She expressed her gratitude to BFAR-CAR for continuously including the farmers and fisherfolk in the city as beneficiaries of its numerous programs, projects and activities geared towards advancing agriculture and fisheries in urban areas. – Dexter A. See