The Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF) and the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) (DA-NFRDI) have forged ties to integrate fish welfare into the FishKwela program. This collaboration aims to promote sustainable aquaculture practices, improve the livelihoods of fish farmers and promote fish welfare.
FishKwela is an innovative training platform of the DA-NFRDI to enhance the skills and knowledge of local communities on various aspects of fisheries and aquaculture and support the advancement of the country’s fisheries sector.
Through this partnership, NFRDI and AKF aim to incorporate fish welfare into various educational campaigns, workshops and activities to educate fishermen, fishing organizations and aquaculture companies, among others, on sustainable fishing practices.
“When fish welfare is prioritized, this focuses on a holistic approach… while different from our usual activities at NFRDI, we believe it will serve as an equally important and valuable platform,” said Dr. Lilian Garcia, Executive Director of NFRDI.
The partnership of NFRDI and AKF under the FishKwela initiative is expected to be a breakthrough in the Philippines’ efforts to make fish welfare the new normal, especially as they directly impact animal welfare and , more importantly, on human well-being.
Both NFRDI and AKF are committed to the long-term success of the project as it aligns with the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 14: Life Below Water.
AKF started the fish welfare movement in the Philippines in 2021. AKF is known for its successful ‘End Dog Meat Trade’ campaign and its other farm animal welfare campaign: ‘Cage-free, Go Cruel-free’.
In 2021-2022, AKF initiated research to investigate existing fish welfare practices in the country. The findings showed that fish welfare is not an entirely new concept. Fishermen have adopted indigenous methods to assess water quality, improve feeding efficiency and more. However, there still exists a knowledge gap that makes fishermen feel helpless.
“During our research we identified challenges that need to be addressed. Through our partnership, we aim to create a positive impact and improve fish welfare in the aquaculture sector in the Philippines,” said Caguioa.
The signing of the MOA took place on December 9 at the NFRDI office. The campaign was attended by AKF campaign leaders – Claren May Echono, Tony Inting and Irven Bustamante – as well as key officials from NFRDI, including Dr. Mudjekeewis Santos, Dr. Ulysses Montojo, Dr. Minerva Fatimae Ventolero and Casiano Choresca Jr. and dr. Maria Theresa Mutia, Head of the Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center, who also delivered the closing message.
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