In preparation for the development of an Aquaculture Development and Management Plan (ADMP), the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) project: Fisheries and Coastal Resilient Resource Planning and Management (FishCRRM)- subcomponent 1.2 Aquaculture Development and Management in FMA6 Coordinating Unit 1(FCU1) conducts Capacity Building on Aquaculture Farm Profiling.

This program gathered 26 coastal LGU representatives, and enumerators from La Union and Pangasinan on February 6-7, 2025 at EM Royale, San Juan, La Union.

Head of FishCRRM Reginald Laxum Atabay discussed the overview of the project, explaining that subcomponent 1.2 will involve the establishment of an aquaculture farm registry (AquaR) and regulatory control activities, which are key reasons for conducting this activity.

FishCRRM subcomponent 1.2 lead, Sancho V. Bilog presented the overview of Aquaculture Farm Profiling and discussed Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) of farm operations, followed by the discussion on Legal Basis related to Aquaculture of Head-Legal Unit, Atty. Jerick Christian P. Dagdagan.

Further insights were provided on the Aquaculture Farm Geographical Information System (AqFGIS), an application designed to gather real time data of aquafarms such as culture environment, systems, methods; biosecurity measures, and facilities. Regina Valdez, a member of subcomponent 1.2, along with Maribel Malenab, led this discussion.

To equip participants with the necessary skills for aquafarm profiling, a practical demonstration was conducted, where enumerators engaged in fieldwork using pen-and-paper interview with a fishpond caretaker at Brgy. Taboc, San Juan, La Union.

The program was concluded through sharing of learnings by the enumerators, and exchange of best practices including tips on asking effective questions, led by the FishCRRM subcomponent 1.2 lead and members.

This activity is a crucial step in preparing for the on-field use of the AqFGIS application.

FishCoRe is a seven-year project funded by the World Bank, which promotes a comprehensive approach to fisheries governance with a specific focus on the social and ecological dimensions of the Philippines’ waters and its resources, in partnership with local government units. This project aims to bring benefits to approximately half a million fishers and stakeholders nationwide.