BFAR distributes 594,600 tilapia fingerlings to Tarlac fish farmers

Around 594,600 tilapia fingerlings were distributed to fish farmers in Tarlac as part of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 3’s efforts to boost the tilapia industry in Central Luzon.

According to BFAR Region 3, the fingerlings are worth a total of P267,570 and form part of its rehabilitation assistance to fish farmers affected by Typhoons Crising, Emong and Dante, as well as the enhanced Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).

Among the beneficiaries are fish farmers in Tarlac City and the municipalities of Capas, San Jose, Pura, San Clemente, Camiling and Paniqui.

Through the assistance, BFAR Region 3 aims to help affected fish farmers restore their livelihoods and increase tilapia production in their communities.

The agency continues to provide support and livelihood programs to help the region’s fish farming industry recover from the effects of this year’s calamities.

Central Luzon is the country’s leading tilapia-producing region, accounting for more than 57 percent of the Philippines’ total tilapia output, with Pampanga, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija among its major producers.

Aquaculture forms the backbone of the region’s fisheries industry, accounting for about 80 percent of its total fisheries production.

However, calamities in Central Luzon—including severe typhoons, the Southwest Monsoon and historical events such as the Mount Pinatubo eruption—have repeatedly disrupted agriculture, infrastructure and regional trade.