MAFAR to capacitate aquaculturist on mangrove rehabilitation, ecosystem approach

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reforms has conducted a three-day training to 22 Aquaculturists from the region and provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi (via Zoom), Basilan, and Sulu on January 25-27.

The training aims to capacitate the staff in the different management approaches and ensure that they can deliver the services properly to the stakeholders involved in the management of coastal resources such as the LGUs, fisherfolks, and the coastal communities.

Fisheries Resources Management Division of the Fisheries Services Chief, Hairodin T. Arap, led the activity in Cotabato City.

FRMD Chief Hairodin T. Arap stressed that this program is a cross-cutting or the involvement of other divisions, not only FRMD because EAFM has a wide range of concerns as far as protecting our resources is concerned.

Director II for Fisheries Services, Dr. Macmod D. Mamalangkap, said that the primary purpose of this activity is to introduce to the new Aquaculturists about this ecosystem approach of managing the resources for the welfare and benefit of the Bangsamoro community and how to build up a relationship with co-partners and other stakeholders.

During the training, a presentation of topics includes Introduction to Fisheries, Coastal Habitats and Ecosystem Functions and Why EAFM, paradigms and principles, EAFM Plan: Linking Policies, Plans and Action and EAFM Planning, Process Overview, Legal Aspects of Coastal and Fisheries Management, Mangrove Rehabilitation: Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, and MRMS discussed the Mangrove Rehab Best Practices.