Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Saturday called on the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to sustain its momentum and scale up efforts in delivering timely services to the country’s fisherfolk, as the agency marked its 78th founding anniversary.

While commending BFAR for its contributions to rural development, Tiu Laurel emphasized that true success lies in improving the lives of fishing communities.

“This celebration is not for us alone — it is for the fisherfolk we serve and the marine resources we are entrusted to protect,” he said during the anniversary event.

With the theme “Ahensyang Aksyon Agad,” this year’s celebration served as both tribute and challenge — honoring BFAR’s legacy while urging the agency to step up results-driven service. The DA chief underscored the urgency of streamlining processes so BFAR can respond faster to crises and better anticipate future threats to food security and marine health.

“The nature of government work is unending,” Tiu Laurel said. “There will always be more boats to deliver, more fingerlings to distribute, more projects to launch, and more fisherfolk lives to transform.”

He assured full institutional support for programs that bring tangible, inclusive growth to the fisheries sector, and likened public service to the tides: “unrelenting, consistent, and courageous—just like the fisherfolk who set out to sea each day.”

As BFAR enters its 79th year, Tiu Laurel stressed that progress requires more than good intentions—it demands action that is swift, strategic, and anchored in compassion.