Faster and more accurate laboratory testing for fish and aquaculture products will soon be possible with the construction of the Fish Health and Quality Control Laboratory Facility in General Santos City.

The Department of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Department of Agriculture (DA) led the groundbreaking of the three-story BFAR-12 Satellite Office, which will house the new laboratory at the General Santos Fishport Complex on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

The facility, with a floor area of 648 square meters on a 1,740-square meter lot, is expected to enhance the capability in quality control and fish health monitoring.

The project has a budget of nearly P115 million and the construction is slated for completion by June 10, 2026.

Once operational, the laboratory will allow for on-site testing and analysis of fish and aquaculture product samples.

The Tuna industry stakeholders in GenSan hailed the facility as they have long requested it from the national government.

“We are tuna capital of the industry pero wala tay laboratories, so unang gipangayo namu ang pag-examine sa tubig sa histamine content kay tuna man. Kay ang tuna pag dili nimu maareglar og maayo musaka ang histamine manghubog, ang uban kritikal kung dunay allergy sa histamine,” Tuna Industry Leader, Marfenio Tan, said.

The laboratory is also expected to play a key role in fish disease surveillance.

“This facility will serve as a vital infrastructure not only for the efficient operations of our regional satellite office but also for strengthening fish disease surveillance , products quality control, functions that are increasingly essential in both domestic and international markets,” BFAR National Director, Elizzer Salilig, said.

“Hinaot unta nga atung inprastratura nga atung ibutang dinhi makatabang kanato ug makahimo nga makahatag og maayo nga imahe dinhi sa General Santos City nga ang mga produckto gikan sa General Santos maayo, safe, unya global quality far excellence,” Undersecretary for Operations and Agri-Fisheries Mechanization, Engr. Roger Navaro, added.