Mindoro regional lab being built to improve quality of aquaculture

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said its regional office in Mimaropa (Mindoro – Occidental & Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) has started building a Regional Fisheries Integrated Laboratory in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, to enhance disease monitoring and support aquaculture in the region.

The four-storey, 600-square-meter laboratory is funded by the World Bank, in partnership with the National Government, which tapped the BFAR’s Modern and Resilient Livelihood Investments program and the Coastal Resiliency project.

Once operational, the laboratory will provide molecular diagnostics, histopathology, water quality assessment, and environmental monitoring.

The services are intended to help detect and prevent fish diseases, safeguard aquaculture production, and support quality standards for fish supplied to both domestic and export markets.

“The project is expected to directly benefit 583 fisheries households and establishments, while indirectly supporting approximately 1,000 households across 48 municipalities and one city in the region,” the BFAR said in a statement.

It said the construction timeline is 270 days. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel