TEEMING with more than 3,000 species of fish, other sea creatures and corals, the Philippines is considered a marine sanctuary. However, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) warned that overfishing and over-dependence on fisheries resources for food and income are causing rapid depletion. To establish a reference point for the sustainable management and conservation of fish species, the NSAP will conduct a study on two top commercially important fish species in the Cagayan Valley region. Espada (ribbon fish, cutlass fish, belt fish and frost fish) is also called “balila” in Tagalog and “Diwit” in Cebuano. To be funded by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, the study will run for two years from January 2018.

Source: Manila Times November 01, 2017 17:03 UTC