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Two Zamboangueños were recently appointed to the Department of Agriculture, National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) to represent the Medium-Scale Commercial Fishing Sector and Fishery Products Processing Sector.

Roberto A. Baylosis was appointed to represent the Medium-Scale Commercial Fishing Sector while Edgar Lim will represent the Fishery Products Processing Sector.

The two were appointed by President Benigno Aquino III after being nominated by their respective organizations.
The appointment of representatives from the different sectors to the NFARMC is mandated under the Philippine Fishery Code of 1998. The NFARMC is composed of 15 members including the Undersecretary of Agriculture, Undersecretary of Interiorand and Local Government, five members representing the fisherfolks and fishworkers, five members representing the commercial fishing, aquaculture operators, and the processing sectors, two members from the academe and one from the Non-Government Organization involved in fisheries.           

The functions of the NFARMC include to assist in the formation of national policies for their protection, sustainable development and management of fishery and aquatic resources for the approval of the secretary, and to assist the Department of Agriculture in the preparation of the National Fisheries and Industry Development plan. 

Edgar Lim in an interview said, “We will assist the government in forming policies in so far as aquaculture and fisheries is concerned. This is a good opportunity because we have the sardine industry in Zamboanga City so we can voice out our concerns especially on policy matters.”
According to Lim the processing sector was not represented in the past.

He said he will also coordinate with canning industries in Zamboanga City, in General Santos City, and frozen exporters in Visayas.
He also stressed, “We are looking at the sustainability of the sardine industry. We have to see to it that during the spawning period, we really have to declare close fishing season to allow the fish to spawn, reproduce and grow so that the following year we have the same fish stock.”
Fishery resources according to Lim must not be depleted to attain sustainability of marine resources.

Lim is one of the two representatives of the employer sector in the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWBP) IX and he is also one of the officers of the Zamboanga City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc..

by: R.G. A A. Go