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| Island hopping tour |
The morning of the next day, Good Friday, was spent on an island-hopping tour. Some of the islands were the 2.5-hectare Isla Naburot (home to a eco-friendly resort owned by Alice and Ponciano “Pons” Saldana) and the 1,544 sq. m. Tiniguiban Islet (where rare red shrimps make their appearance inside a pool during high tide). Past the latter is the highlight of our tour – the Igang Point Fisheries Research Station in Nueva Valencia, a government-run aquatic fishery center.
Situated on a coral reef cove, it embraces 4 islands interconnected by floating bridges. This demonstration and training facility of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) promotes cage farming technology for marginal fishers. It is home to brood stocks of milkfish (bangus), giant grouper (lapu-lapu), sea bass, red snappers and other fishes in huge floating cages. In this cages, fishes mature and spawn spontaneously during the normal breeding seasons.
AUTHOR’S NOTES
Today, milkfish cultured in marine cages provides livelihood to 4 Nueva Valencia barangays (Igang, Magamay, San antonio and Sto. Domingo) affected by the major oil spill in 2006. They were given operational capital for the construction of fish cages. Income from the production runs was given to 5 organizations now operating cages on their own, with the assistance of SEAFDEC who taught villagers integrated culture and alternate day feeding to improve production.