The Philippines hailed the success of the Norwegian marine fish cage project in the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte in wake of a huge harvest that benefited members of the Sindangan Fisherfolk Association.
According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Zamboanga Peninsula, some 1.645 tons of milkfish were harvested from two Norwegian marine fish cages in Sindangan town on Dec. 28, 2022.
The BFAR monitored and documented the harvest in the coastal village of R.G. Macias, mentioning that the cages, were stocked on June 21 last year by the Sindangan Fisherfolk Association, the beneficiary of the project.
It said the success of this project not only provided a very sustainable form of livelihood for the beneficiaries, it also provided a very viable and profitable means for Sindangan fishermen to invest in a fish cage venture in their town.
According to the bureau, the Norwegian fish cage technology uses high-density polyethylene composites and serves to address several issues at once.
It said this technology is highly productive in terms of sheer harvest volume compared to the traditional bamboo fish cage and it is sustainable since it no longer requires indigenous materials, aside from being highly durable.
Norwegian fish cages can also be deployed to areas where wave action makes it impossible to operate traditional bamboo fish cages, and this technology can be replicated in other coastal communities in the country.