by Christine Lyn Viajante
MACABALAN, Cagayan de Oro City (Oct. 09) β The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 10βs (BFAR-10) Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordination Division (RFTFCD) commences a three-day Training of Trainers on Fish Stock Assessment and Fish Identification here today, equipping Fisheries Extension Workers (FEW) in Misamis Oriental (MisOr) with the skills needed for a more accurate data gathering of fish stocks in the province.



A series of comprehensive lectures, fieldwork, and hands-on activities, covering critical aspects of fish stock assessment, fish identification, and fishery resource management is already plotted for the training.
βGi-design ni siya nga training aron mas mulambo pa ug naay uniformity ang atong mga nahibal-an og unsaon gβyud pagkuha sa timbang, sukod ug pag-identify sa mga isda nga nakuha sa atung mga mananagat,β MisOr Provincial Fishery Officer, Arlene B Novo underscored.
[This training is designed to improve and level our knowledge on how to weigh, measure, and identify fish stocks that our fisherfolk caught.]Todayβs session featured essential discussions on the country’s fish stock assessment methodologies, Northern Mindanaoβs current fish stock assessment status, and its importance, including its basic concepts, principles, and applications.



Resource speaker Mary Jory Fabricante of Region 10βs National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP) explained that these lectures are imperative to detail the current challenges and efforts in sustaining the fish population in the region.
Further, a lecture on the appropriate ways of gathering data to measure fish populations and fishing efforts took place, and a module on fishing gear and fishing method identification was presented by reproductive biology technical staff, Geraldine Lugmay.
On the succeeding days, the participants will perform fieldwork to gain practical experience in fish identification and data collection. They will also undertake sampling and spotting common demersal, pelagic, and invertebrates and, identify freshwater species including data reporting.
βParticipants will be taught the proper methods of compiling and analyzing data collected during assessments to ensure precise evaluations,β Fabricante elaborated.
The training will culminate with participants receiving certificates of completion, officially recognizing them as trained fish stock assessment and identification trainers who will cascade this knowledge to other stakeholders. (CLViajante//BFAR-10)



