FISH CONSERVATION. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) starts the nationwide celebration of 59th Fish Conservation (Fishcon) Week on Monday (Sept. 12, 2022). The Fishcon week will end on Sept. 16. (Screengrab) MANILA - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Monday urged Filipinos to help protect and preserve the country's fish and water resources as the nation celebrates the 59th Fish Conservation (Fiscon) Week. In an interview with PTV's Rise and Shine Pilipinas, BFAR Director Nestor Domenden said these resources must be preserved for the sake of future generations. "Hinihikayat natin ang bawat isa na Pilipino na makilahok sa pagdiriwang, saang sulok man kayo ng Pilipinas dahil may inihanda rin kaming activities, ang ating regional offices. Dapat din nating protektahan, i-conserve ang ating environment, ang ating mga isda nang sa ganun ay mayroon tayong sapat na pagkaing isda sa kinabukasan (We are encouraging every Filipino to join our celebration, wherever you are in the Philippines because our regional offices have prepared activities. We also need to protect, conserve our environment, our fish, so that we will have adequate food for tomorrow)," he said. This year's theme "Pagkain ng bansa siguruhin, Likas-kayang produksyon ng isda isulong natin" (Ensure food security, promote natural fishery production), echoes the administration's priority to achieve food self-sufficiency by increasing local production and providing affordable commodities under President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos' leadership. He said the BFAR also believes that food self-sufficiency will be feasible through the help of modernization. "I-modernize natin ang ating aquaculture and fisheries, dapat po natin tangkilikin ang mga na-generate na technology nang sa gayon ay makasunod tayo sa pagbabago ng panahon, kailangan din natin maging innovative (Let's modernize our aquaculture and fisheries, we must patronize the technology-generated [strategies] for us to catch up with modern times, we also need to be innovative)," he said. Domenden said the government and the people must be "open to change to remain productive." "Of course, kailangan natin mag-intensify, 'wag na 'yung backyard, backyard lang, gusto natin commercial 'yung ating operations ng aquaculture (we need to intensify, not backyard only, we want to commercialize our aquaculture operations)," he added. The BFAR celebrates the festive 59th Fishcon alongside the celebration of Maritime and Archipelagic Awareness Month and the coastal cleanup under Proclamation 613. The BFAR's Fishcon Week is slated Sept. 12 to 16 with various activities from central and all regional offices nationwide. (PNA) }