Calape Receives 130 BFAR Boats
as Mayor Yu Leads Investment Plan Workshops

The distribution of 130 patrol and transport boats to Calape marks a major milestone for the municipality’s fishing sector. The vessels, sourced through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), are intended to bolster the capacity of local fisherfolk — supporting both daily fishing operations and coastal patrol activities that protect Calape’s rich marine waters.

The boats are expected to benefit dozens of fishing barangays across Calape, many of which rely on the sea for their primary livelihood. BFAR’s intervention is part of a broader national effort to modernize the country’s small-scale fishing fleet and ensure that coastal communities have safe, reliable vessels for their daily work.

Calape, Bohol receives localized fisheries services through the BFAR 7 – Bohol Provincial Fishery Office, based in Tagbilaran City. The agency has been especially active in recent months, rolling out a series of programs covering cash assistance, sustainable fishing technology, hatchery operations, livelihood distributions, and leadership engagement — all directly benefiting fisherfolk communities across the province, including Calape.

Among the most immediate developments is the cash assistance and fuel subsidy rollout by BFAR-7 for approximately 43,000 registered small-scale fisherfolk across Central Visayas. The program is moving across Bohol to offset the rising operational costs that have squeezed local fishing households — providing direct financial relief to those who depend on the sea for their daily income.

On the leadership front, BFAR National Director Elizer Salilig and BFAR-7 Director Mario Ruinata conducted a personal immersion trip to Bohol, engaging directly with local fisherfolk and evaluating the performance of sustainable fishing technologies — in particular the lambaklad (Otoshi-ami), an environment-friendly net system designed to increase catch yields without damaging Bohol’s marine ecosystems.

Calape plays a direct role in the province’s fisheries supply chain through the Central Visayas Multi-Species Nursery and Demonstration Training Center located in Barangay Bentig. The facility breeds bangus (milkfish) and distributes fingerlings to fish cages in surrounding municipalities — contributing to regional food security while supporting aquaculture as a livelihood option for Calape residents.

At the provincial level, the Bohol provincial government and BFAR have already turned over 130 motorized and non-motorized fiberglass boats, along with climate change intervention packages, to fisherfolk associations across 33 local government units. This distribution — which directly includes Calape — is designed to bolster fish yield, protect municipal waters, and equip fishing communities with vessels suited to modern coastal conditions.

BFAR is also championing the expansion of the lambaklad (Otoshi-ami) net system across Bohol — an alternative livelihood method that increases catch volume while protecting the integrity of local marine ecosystems, aligning with the province’s push for sustainable, long-term fishery management.