In the blue waters of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte, what glistens is silver, not gold.
Bangus (milkfish) is now seen as a fast growing industry in the Caraga Region, especially in the municipality of Nasipit where one out of the four mariculture parks in the region is located.
As a mariculture park, this water area in barangays Ata-Atahon and Cubi-Cubi is likened to an industrial park where innovations on its facilities and infrastructures are provided to attract entrepreneurs or investors.
Floating on this 234-hectare mariculture park are fish cages that serve as a home to a bountiful catch of fish, such as bangus, that are traded and processed as different aquamarine products.
‘Cages that play with the waves’
Aside from the traditional fish cages made of bamboo, what assures enough supply of bangus in the province is the use of Norwegian fish cages that are mobile circular cages made of a versatile plastic material called high density polyethylene (HDPE).
“I am now using Norwegian cages that are 15 meters in diameter and can accommodate 50,000 to 60,000 fingerlings,” shared Henry Bungabong, president of the provincial aquamarine industry council.
Bungabong said that aside from the volume of fingerlings it can house, the Norwegian cages are more resilient that “even when big waves hit, the cages only play along with them.”
“With the cages, the return on investment is good. It used to only have a very few Norwegian cages in this area, but as many have seen the opportunities and potentials, we now currently have more than 60 units floating here,” Bungabong added.
Development Specialist Dennis Solis said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga is now providing technical assistance to investors who are interested in engaging with building Norwegian fish cages.
Solis said that initial investment for fish farming using the Norwegian fish cage would reach P3 million inclusive of the fish cage, fingerlings, and aqua feeds.
An estimated four tons of bangus is harvested at least twice a year in each unit which is equivalent to almost P500 thousand income per harvest.
Solis, also being the aquamarine accounts officer in the region, said that aquaculture is considered a priority industry cluster in Caraga.
“It is time to look towards sustainable aquaculture in the region because this also translates to environmental, economic and social sustainability,” Solis said.
‘Why choose bangus’
One of the direct beneficiaries of the mariculture park is the Rural Improvement Club of Ata-Atahon (RICA) that processes and sells different bangus products even outside the region.
Gina Duenas, chairperson of the said women’s organization, said that processing deboned and bottled bangus has become an opportunity for the members of the organization.
“We chose these value-added products because first, the raw materials are very much available in our locality and many really see the health benefits of bangus,” Duenas said, adding that their organization which started processing during the pandemic has now slowly expanded its market.
Jilna Hiponia, president of Aquamarine Industry Movers (AIM) Caraga, said that investing in bangus processing is always a wise choice.
“We chose to process bangus because this is a whole-year round commodity. It is not hard to find and is available anytime no matter the season,” said Hiponia, who is also the proprietor of local store JIDA Aqua Resources.
Hiponia attributed the enough supply of bangus in the region to the shift of fishpond operators to bangus culturing and the existence of Norwegian fish cages where the commodity can be harvested almost every day.
With more operators investing in Norwegian fish cages and bangus processing, the aquamarine industry in Caraga is certainly growing. It might entail diving into the deep, but it promises more than just a silver lining. (Mike Ariel Plaza, MSDC-II)
Photo Courtesy: DTI-Caraga
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