The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) and the city government of Mati has inaugurated Monday the newly constructed Mati City Fish Port in Barangay Centro, Davao Oriental.
PFDA said the facility aims to provide the city with an adequate post-harvest facility for the handling and distribution of fish and fishery products as well as to effectively ensure food security and sustain the incomes of fishery-based households and enterprises in the area.
“Mati City is a very strategic location to build a fish port because it is located along the eastern seaboard and is a tuna highway. With this, there is a big potential for Mati City Fish Port to be a bigger fish port,” said Glen Pangapalan, PFDA acting general manager, in a statement.
Pangapalan also invited local fishing operators to support and utilize the new Mati City Fish Port to improve economic trade and activity as well as to boost tourism in the city.
Local fish producers, fish buyers including wholesalers, retailers and viajeros, as well as constituents of Mati City are expected to benefit from the project as the facility has a market hall, harbor area, fish landing and other necessary components of a post-harvest facility, PFDA added.
At present, PFDA also manages regional fishing ports in Bulan, Sorsogon; Sual, Pangasinan; General Santos; Davao; Zamboanga; Lucena, Quezon; Iloilo; and Navotas.