In an empowering initiative for the coastal community of Subic, Zambales, 50 members of the Nagtulong Fish Farmers Association have been equipped with valuable fish smoking techniques, thanks to a skills training program by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). This capacity-building endeavor, conducted in partnership with FishRight, aims to bolster the post-harvest capabilities of the fisherfolk, thereby enriching the value of their fish catch.
BFAR Provincial Fisheries Officer Neil Encinaries expressed his aspirations for the program, emphasizing its potential to leverage the beneficiaries' newly acquired skills for the betterment of the local fisheries industry and its sustainable development. The training sessions were hands-on, focusing on the smoking of galunggong, a widely consumed fish species in the Philippines, thus addressing a direct market need.
Stephen Arlo Lapid, the Officer-In-Charge of BFAR's Fisheries Post-Harvest and Marketing Section, underscored the importance of adhering to good manufacturing practices and maintaining stringent quality and hygiene standards. These practices are crucial to ensuring that the smoked fish products not only meet but exceed market expectations, thereby fostering a robust and competitive local fisheries sector.
The comprehensive training covered the entire spectrum of the smoking process, from the initial preparation of the fish to the intricacies of smoking techniques. This practical approach aimed to provide the fisherfolk with actionable knowledge that they could implement in their daily operations, potentially transforming the economic landscape of their community through enhanced product quality and marketability.
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