The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) inaugurated two new municipal fish ports in February 2018. PFDA General Manager Atty. Glen A. Pangapalan led the Turn-over Ceremony of the Sindangan Municipal Fish Port in Brgy. Siare, Sindangan Zamboanga Del Norte on Feb 01, 2018 to local government officials led by Mayor Nilo Sy, Vice Mayor Bess Jagonio and other municipal and barangay officials. Special guests of honor during the ceremony were Cong. Glo Labadlabad and BFAR IX Regional Director Sid Velayo.

     The Sindangan Municipal Fish Port was built in an area of about 1,600 sqm that used to be the traditional fish landing area in the municipality. The Port’s facilities includes: revetment cap and stairlanding, trading hall, an administrative office, public comfort rooms, ice stalls, and guard house.  Structures for utilities included a drainage and sewerage system, an outside water distribution system, outside electrical system and concrete pavement.

     These facilities are designed to accommodate the volume of fish unloading in the municipality, estimated at 7 MT daily which represent 30% of the total fish production of Sindangan. There are a total of 1,635 fishing bancas operating in the major fishing grounds of Sulu Sea, Sindangan Bay and Siari Bay that are expected to benefit from the fish port.

     Likewise, the Kiamba Municipal Fish Port located at Brgy. Poblacion, Kiamba, Sarangani was turned-over to the Local Government Unit (LGU) on February 08, 2018.  Gracing the ceremony were PFDA General Manager Atty. Glen A. Pangapalan, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Manuel Piñol, Senator Manny Pacquiao, Governor Steve Chiongbion Solon and Mayor Raul Martinez of Kiamba. 

     The construction of the said fishport was undertaken by PFDA in an area measuring 3,600 sq. m in the coastal area of the Poblacion.  There are 727 fishing bancas operating in Kiamba, 82 are classified as commercial fishing vessels (17 ringnet and 65 tuna catchers) and 645 municipal bancas.  The dominant species caught by the commercial fishermen include galunggong, matambaka, pusit, bariles and salmon; while the municipal fishermen produce pusit, matambaka, pirit and tulingan. The total marine production of Kiamba is estimated at 31.37 MT per day, with an estimated fish unloading in the area of 8.80 MT per day.

     These two newly operationalized fish ports will provide modern post-harvest facilities that will enhance fisheries livelihood opportunities for the fisherfolk in the said municipalities while at the same time enabling improvement in the quality of their catch. The newly constructed ports were funded by the Nationwide Fish Port Development – Poorest of the Poor Program. (Henry Umil, Jr/M.T. Francisco)