 This video is about the benefits of using the space above coastal waters for drying fish. In many other places, fish are usually dried on racks built on land. But for some coastal communities in the Philippines, fisherfolk have decided to build drying racks over coastal waters for a number of reasons. The fisherfolk of Sambuangasibugay built fish dryers over water because they do not own land. They built them so that the high tide would not reach the drying racks. They chose areas that are near the sea. This reduces their hauling activities because they would not need to transfer fish right after landing to somewhere far away just to dry them. This reduces the labor cost. It shortens the time and lessens the effort of our fisherfolk. They can preserve the quality and freshness of the fish. This makes their products safe for eating. These dryers are made of bamboo. This is the cheapest, most durable, and easy to get material within the province. Fisherfolk prefer to use a type of bamboo known locally as giant and thorny bamboo. This type of bamboo is very strong and is better than other types. The bamboo racks typically last for 3 to 5 years depending on the type of fish being dried. The bamboo floor and posts can be easily repaired and replaced every few months as needed. For a 200 square meter stilt bamboo drying rack, the estimated cost is around 92 US dollars. This amount already includes the cost of the bamboo materials and labor. The average drying capacity for a 200 square meter drying rack is around 500 kilograms per week. On a sunny day, drying fish takes an average of 7 to 8 hours. Generally, salted dried fish dries faster than the unsalted ones. Common fish species being dried are syganids, tilapia, milkfish, anchovies, squids, and sardines. Some fisherfolk from the municipality of Ipil in the province of Samuangasibugai used to dry their fish on land. But now that they are drying their fish over water, they say their income has increased. My fish dryer before was built on land, but the flies would always come near the fish. The smell also bothered other people. I kept throwing out the bad ones. I would earn only about 35 to 53 US dollars a week. I was full of debts. Having a fish dryer over the water is better because the quality of my dried fish has improved. My dried fish are now cleaner as I can wash them properly before drying. And the reflection of the water helps dry up the fish faster. The bamboo material of the mats allows air to flow, making drying faster. The surrounding area is also clean. We spent 1700 US dollars as our capital which includes the building of the fish dryer. Even though we spent a lot of money, I am happy with the returns. Now, I can earn about 90 US dollars a week. And in a month, I can earn about 356 US dollars. We have a regular buyer now. She keeps coming back because my dried fish are of better quality, clean and not too salty. I am really happy that we moved our stilt fish drying activities here because now we are able to support our family with their needs. In the municipality of Si, in the same province, a women's association has built stilt fish dryers over coastal waters near mangroves and far from households. Our association focuses on selling dried fish. When we made our fish dryer, we made sure that it is strong enough to last for a long time. It's key to forming our association. When it's slow tide, the waters are gone. When it's high tide, the waters return. So we made a walkway that allows us to keep drying fish. The fish dryer has really helped our women members. It has helped them provide income for their families and send their children to school. While these bamboo stilt fish dryers have been used by these fisherfolk communities for the past decades, the local government makes it clear the need for fish processors to be registered with the local government if they are to make use of these drying racks for business. Fisherfolk associations may apply as a group to give their members the license to process. Associations make fish drying as a source of livelihood for their members. They must follow general standards on food production and on building the fish dryers themselves. Ideally, the fish dryers need to be far from communities so that the foul odor will not disturb the people. So if the standards are met, then they will be given clearances or permits. The Philippine national government has identified coastal areas in the Philippines as four shorelands or the parts of the seashore that are touched by the lowest level of the water. In the province of Zambuangasi Bugai, the local government unit is in the process of mapping these areas. Once the four shorelands have been finally mapped out, management of these lands will now be under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Once the Porture Area is delineated, individuals or corporations or associations can apply for a Porture List Agreement with the DNR. In the case of our bamboo stilt fish dryer, they have the option to apply to the DNR for a 25-year lease. Once they are granted the FLA, they have the option to utilize this area for their associations or for individual purposes. It can be utilized for their fish drying activities. To recap, drying fish over water is beneficial for areas where there is shortage of land or it is difficult to own land. Appropriate bamboo types can be used for building the drying racks as they can withstand seawater for long periods of time. Also, having drying racks near coastal waters reduces labor and transportation costs as the fish can directly be processed near where fishermen dock their boats. Fisher folk from the community also have a chance to earn income from drying fish. But to turn fish drying into a business, an organization or person must make sure to apply for a permit and license. Whether for personal use or business, drying fish over water benefits small-scale fish processors.