The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is set to sign a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Bohol provincial government and the town of Sevilla for the construction of a tilapia hatchery in Barangay Cabancalan that will boost the fish supply in the island.

Sevilla is the third town to partner with BFAR for the tilapia hatchery project in line with the provincial government’s efforts to increase fish supply on the island and bring down fish prices in the market.

Last year, the towns of Valencia and Pilar signed a similar agreement with BFAR and the provincial government for the construction of the hatchery facility in local government units (LGU)-owned lots in their areas. The provincial government has earlier identified Valencia, Pilar, Sevilla, and Talibon towns for the project as these areas have dams and irrigation facilities.

“The provincial government has allocated funds for the project sourced from the 20% development fund in 2022,” said Erico Aristotle Aumentado, governor of Bohol.

Each of the four LGUs will be allocated PHP 6 million (USD 107,000) for the hatchery facility project. The hatchery project is seen to not only increase the supply of tilapia in Bohol but also improve the income of fisherfolks by providing them with access to better-quality tilapia fingerlings.