DAVAO CITY - The CBlue Aquafarms Venture Inc., one of the country’s largest and technologically advanced milkfish hatcheries located in Davao Occidental province, is now open, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Davao (BFAR-11) said Thursday.

In a statement, BFAR-11 said the state-of-the-art facility, which was inaugurated on August 18, is situated in Barangay Lacaron, Malita town.

It is expected to boost fry production, helping to close the supply gap and potentially creating export opportunities.

BFAR National Director Elizer Salilig said the project is a private-led, large-scale initiative that represents the core of public-private partnership (PPP).

“With the declining trend of wild fish catch globally, aquaculture is the way forward. Mindanao, being the country’s food basket, is ideal for marine aquaculture,” he said in the same statement.

As per the Philippine Milkfish Industry Roadmap 2021–2040, the country is short of some 1.2 billion fry—about 54 percent of its total needs.

The initiative is reinforced by a tripartite agreement with BFAR and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), covering technology transfer, capacity building, research, and resource support to ensure more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable hatchery operations.

Blue Aquafarms specializes in marine finfish breeding, including milkfish and high-value species such as grouper.

The venture is a collaboration between Trendprofit International Limited of Taiwan, the Federation of Aquamarine Enterprises, and the Davao Occidental provincial government.

BFAR PHOTO