Where do the fishes go?

This is the nagging question housewives, students and the Boholanos in Tagbilaran City in general still seek the answer to. Fist-shaped Bohol which is the country’s tenth largest island. The long coastline means many Boholanos are also fishermen, but the fish on sale in the markets are pricey.

Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol’s 2^nd District said he intends to solve the “case” of the missing fish.”

This after Aumentado learned that the Boholano fishermen prefer to bring their catch to Cebu because of the better prices the buyers offer. As a result, the fish they bring home to Bohol are the “left-lovers” of middlemen who meet up with their “suki” at sea, and buy the catch in bulk even before the fishermen reaches Bohol shores.

Aumentado intends to organize the Boholano fishermen. He will still be extending help when he can, but at the same time, he will persuade the fishermen to shift to legal fishing methods.

As an organized group, they will need to sell around fifty (50) percent of their catch to a local buyer who will sell them at reasonable prices. Or, he added, the fishermen can “appoint” one or two of the wives, acquire a booth or a stall at the Central Public Market and do business there.

The solon said the scheme is his way of making the city residents feel the boom of improvement as he assisted various associations in the towns in his district with funds tapped from national government agencies (NGAs). He cannot directly give material or financial assistance to the city residents as the

Lately, his favorite has been the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that has made him the conduit of funds for livelihood projects for the fishing communities in Inabanga and Bien Unido towns and the farmers in Sagbayan town.

Only recently, Aumentado distributed P1,400,000 to strengthen the fishermen’s associations in Bien Unido and Inabanga.

Legal fishing gear augurs well for the stoppage of illegal fishing in these towns. Other groups in Inabanga received capital for duck raising and balut production, free range chicken raising and nets to make crab pots with.

On the other hand, Sagbayan groups received a total P1.4 million for organic vegetables and organic rice production as well as catering utensils for a women’s group.

The solon also said he intends to integrate the fishing associations. He wants them to make a difference. (June S. Blanco)