Cognizant of the challenges faced by the fishing industry and fisherfolks at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Japan’s Ambassador to the Philippines, ENDO Kazuya signed and exchanged notes for “The Project for the Development of Sustainable Fishery Value Chains last February 4, with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in the Philippines Lionel Dabbadi.
BARMM Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform Mohammad Yacob also witnessed the signing ceremony.
The Government of Japan will contribute approximately 4.7 million US dollars to this two-year project, which the FAO will implement to support small-scale aquafarmers and fishers in BARMM to enhance their livelihood and resiliency. This project seeks to (1) Strengthen capacity for innovative aquaculture at the farmer group and government levels; (2) Assess capture harvest potential and consolidated capacity to reduce post-harvest losses of fishery products; and (3) Reinforce aquatic biosecurity, fish health, food safety and halal compliance.
In his speech, Ambassador Endo expressed his hope that the project would strengthen the capacities of local governments and farmers to manage fisheries. He encouraged all relevant stakeholders to continue supporting efforts to build a future where fishers thrive, fishing communities live in peace and prosperity, and marine ecosystems are sustainably managed.
