Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – 6 director Rowen Gelonga said that technology interventions will be used to strengthen the fishery and aquaculture sector in Western Visayas.
By Alex A. Lumaque
The help for the sector is in view of DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña’s priority agenda, which push for the utilization of the fruits of Science and Technology (S & T) developments to directly or indirectly benefit the people.
“We are asking the University of the Philippines Visayas and SEAFDEC (Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center) to share the technologies that they have developed,” he said, noting that a sort of inventory on available technologies was conducted at the facilities of UPV and SEAFDEC early this year.
He added that Capiz State University (CAPSU) has also been helping the DOST to strengthen the Research and Development (R & D) and consultancy program for aquaculture.
It was learned that some CAPSU professors are being tapped and deployed to the fishponds purposely to transfer technology at no cost to fishpond operators.
DOST has also launched at CAPSU Dayao campus, here, the Fisheries and Food R &D Center that will specialize in developing technologies on fisheries and processed food of aquaculture – based products.
A forum on aquaculture and emerging seafood products was conducted by the agency in partnership with CAPSU to further boost the Capiz province’s claim as the Seafood Capital of the Philippines.
Also, the Mollusk Research and Development Center of UPV that will study mollusk resources like oyster, green mussel, squid and angel wings, among others, was also launched during the celebration.
The DOST’s emphasis on fishery and aquaculture came amidst Capiz Gov. Antonio Del Rosario’s request, in a message read by Capiz vice-governor Esteban Evan Contreras II, for needed technologies towards quality production of seafood products.
The province’s seafoods, which have distinctive delicious taste because of the brackish water, need to be sustained and the methods of increasing production need upgrade, Del Rosario stressed.
Capiz is among the provinces in the region with the richest fishing grounds and a major contributor in the aquamarine industry of the country. (LTP/AAL/PIA6 Capiz)
Source: https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1012708
