SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Central Luzon and the United States Agency for International Development recently conducted a Training of Trainers on the Philippine Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Index and Threat Assessment Tool at this premier Freeport.

The workshop — through the BFAR's Fisheries Management and Regulatory Enforcement Division and USAID's FishRight Program — is geared to the region's law enforcement personnel, municipal agriculturists, provincial and local government unit fisheries officers and technicians and academicians who actively worked together to evaluate IUU fishing activities in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

The I-FIT tool was developed and designed to sustainably manage the fisheries resources and find long-lasting solutions to IUU fishing threats.

During the course of the workshop, the participants were trained to assess prevalence, vulnerability and responses to IUU fishing and use the gathered information to develop targeted and focused strategies and interventions.

Meanwhile, BFAR3 Fishfarmers' Field School 2022 students finished their schooling during the Mass Graduation Ceremony conducted by the Bulacan Provincial Government at the provincial gymnasium in Malolos.

At least 26 fish pond operators, who are all residents of Barangay San Pablo in Hagonoy, finished their four-month course in fish farming technology such as the Greenwater Technology that was conducted by the BFAR and the Provincial Agriculture's Office of Bulacan.