In Banisilan, N. Cotabato, rivers, creeks, seeded with tilapia fingerlings

The national inland fisheries program called Balik Sigla sa Ilog at Lawa or Project BASIL had a virtual soft-launching in the interior town of Banisilan in North Cotabato yesterday when 25,000 Tilapia fingerlings were seeded in the creeks and rivers of the municipality.The 25,000 fingerlings, provided by Director Usop Pendaliday of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) hatchery in the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) in Kabacan, will be part of 100,000 fingerlings which will be seeded in the rivers and creeks of Banisilan.Banisilan, the venue of a Biyaheng Bukid Farmers Forum yesterday, is an interior town in the boundaries of North Cotabato and Bukidnon and people do not have access to low-cost fish from the country's fishing grounds.Most of the rivers of the town have been depleted with freshwater fish because of destructive fishing methods like the use of battery-powered electric fishing rods which kills even the young fish.During the open forum yesterday, the Mayor of Banisilan, Jesus Alisasis and the village heads, agreed to strictly implement the laws against illegal fishing and promised to safeguard the rivers and creeks from illegal fishing methods.Part of the agreement was for them to ban fishing in the rivers and creeks for at least six months to allow the Tilapia fingerlings to grow and even multiply.It was agreed that each village with rivers running through the areas will pass local ordinances to impose stiff fines against illegal fishing. Image may contain 9 people crowd and outdoor sand//scontent-sin6-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18058112_1330853026997163_148253995103677788_n.jpg?oh=22ac6a2f15aeefc905cfe71c53cbfdceandampoe=5987673B Also in Banisilan yesterday, concerns of corn, rubber, abaca, cassava and oil palm farmers we addressed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.Several farm to market road projects will be included in the list of proposed roads to be funded by the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), a joint program of the Philippine Government and the World Bank which is being implemented by the DAF.Banisilan was also declared as the pilot town in Region XII for the implementation of the Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) which provides loans to farmers and fishermen who are accredited by the DAF through its credit agency, the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).Farm equipment including a tractor and two combined Rice and Corn Harvester were also turned over to farmers groups and farmer-leaders in the area.Joining the Biyaheng Bukid Team in Banisilan yesterday were Asst. Secretary for Livestock Enrico Garzon, District 1 Congressman Jesus Sacdalan and other local officials of Alamada and Banisilan towns.