IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay, Aug 17 (PIA) - Local fisherfolks of Siay town get knowledge upgrade with the two-day training on Aquasilvi Mangrove Crab Culture conducted recently by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) 9. 

Members of the Concepcion Fisherfolk Association of Alicia town, Sibugay, who are grantees of the Community-Base Forest Management - Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CBFM-CARP), underwent capability-building activity on Aquasilviculture that is geared towards providing sustainable livelihood to marginalized fisherfolk while at the same time strengthen mangrove forest rehabilitation efforts in the area.

The training included hands-on as well as classroom discussion on mangrove crab grow-out culture technology and  environmental laws, rules, and regulations on the cutting of mangroves as It was emphasized that the aquasilviculture project strictly adheres to “no cutting of mangroves” policy. 

Aquasilviculture is a mangrove-friendly aquaculture technique that allows the production of high-value fishery species in a mangrove reforestation project.

With the intention of maximizing production of the local fishermen, participants were also oriented on how to culture more than one aquaculture commodity thru polyculture method. DA-BFAR explains, Instead of culturing mangrove crab alone, it can be combined with either grouper or “lapu-lapu”, red snapper or “pulahan”, siganids or “samaral” and other high-value fish species. 

The said training was spearheaded by DA-BFAR-9  in partership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office of Imelda (DENR CENRO-Imelda). (RVC/JPA/PIA9-Zamboanga Sibugay)