Japan’s First Secretary Akasaka Hidenori attended the inception and planning workshop for the “Development of Sustainable Fishery Value Chains in BARMM” project last 25 to 26 June.

Funded by the Government of Japan, the project is implemented in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Government.

The workshop aimed to align implementation with the project’s core goals: improving the efficiency and sustainability of aquatic food value chains; strengthening market linkages; and building the capacity of small-scale producers through entrepreneurship, alternative species and value-added processing.

It also focused on empowering fisherfolk with resilient aquaculture and post-harvest technologies and enhancing fish stock monitoring and management.

As part of the activity, Akasaka joined site visits on 27 June to assess several initial target project sites. These included the MAFAR Tilapia hatchery at Mindanao State University — Maguindanao Campus in Datu Odin Sinsuat and the Vannamei (white leg shrimp) production area operated by the Maguindanao United Agri-Farm Cooperative in Cotabato City.

In his speech during the workshop, Akasaka highlighted the importance of sustaining project gains beyond its duration, emphasizing local ownership, independence, resilience and long-term self-reliance.

During these activities, Akasaka also engaged in a lively discussion with project partners, including MAFAR, members of the parliament, fisherfolk and representatives from other agencies. They shared insights on the current state of the region’s fisheries sector and explored ways to support its improvement.