Tilapia fish cage project

Top photo: The first tilapia fish cage to be set up at the open pit man-made lagoon. Above: Joy del Rosario and Elsie Dimaunahan, MMPC treasurer during a visit to the man-made lagoon fish cage project. -- MWBuzzpic by AP HERNANDEZ

 By ALFREDO P HERNANDEZ

THE Mambulao local government recently launched its tilapia fish cage project in Baranggay Larap.

Two units of floating fish cages were set up at the open mining pit of the former Philippine Iron Mines (PIM) which had transformed into a man-made lake.

Joy del Rosario, municipal livelihood officer, told MWBuzz that the fish cage project is an initiative to harness the potential of the open pit lake as tilapia production center.

Rosario said the project is one activity to flesh out the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP) which began in 2013.

The project comprises two units of floating net cages measuring 100sqm.

Each unit is growing at least 5,000 fingerlings, which could grow its market size in four months.

The fingerlings were supplied by the municipal hatchery.

The tilapia project is a tie-up between the LGU and the Mambulao Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC).

Under the scheme, MMPC will provide the tilapia feeds.

The fishermen involved will repay the cost of the fingerlings at P0.30 apiece from the proceeds of the first sale, as well as the cost of the cage structure.