Villar eyes boost to aquaculture production

Sen. Cynthia Villar has expressed concern over the apparent decreasing fish stocks through the years in the face of various challenges, including wide-scale illegal fishing and ocean pollution from the indiscriminate dumping of plastics.

Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, noted that from 70% wild catch and 30 % aquaculture, fish stocks are now sourced 50% from the wild and 50% from aquaculture and by 2022 it will 70% aquaculture, 30% wild catch and by 2050 it will 100% aquaculture.

To address this, Villar said she will continue to promote inland aquaculture, which is increasingly being taught in farm schools nowadays.

"The prediction by UN FAO is by 2050, baka maging zero na ang ocean produce at puro aquaculture nalang. Kaya inaalagaan natin ang ating karagatan against pollution, especially plastic pollution, at illegal fishing, at saka pino-promote din natin ang aquaculture para hindi naman mangyari ang prediction na iyon," Villar said.