The Department of Agriculture–National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI), through its Capture Fisheries Research and Development Division (CFRDD), conducted an in-house module leveling activity for the National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP) on March 31, 2026, at the NFRDI Conference Room in Quezon City. The activity aimed to refine, harmonize, and standardize the program’s technical modules currently being prepared for official publication.

The session served as a collaborative platform for researchers and technical staff to review and align methodologies on fishery sampling procedures, fieldwork planning, data gathering, and reporting protocols. These modules are essential reference materials that guide NSAP teams in generating reliable and science-based fisheries data across monitoring sites nationwide.

By ensuring that all NSAP technical data enumerators and researchers follow unified standards and procedures, the activity helps safeguard the integrity, consistency, and comparability of fisheries information used in national stock assessments. Accurate data is critical in informing evidence-based policies and management interventions that support the sustainable use of the country’s aquatic resources.

Dr. Maria Theresa Mutia, Executive Director of NFRDI, joined the technical discussions and shared valuable insights during the activity. She emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional modules and technical systems to further elevate NFRDI’s contribution to fisheries science, research excellence, and sustainable resource management.

The activity concluded with a productive group workshop focused on refining the final outputs for publication and eventual use by the scientific community, partner agencies, and other stakeholders.

Participants included staff from CFRDD and the NSAP Project Management Office (PMO). Serving as resource speakers were Nicko Amor Flores, Noimie Rose Dicdicquin, and James Lee Abad of CFRDD.

The activity was funded under the FISHCORE Project, specifically Subcomponent FishCRRM 1.1: Strengthening NSAP Project, which aims to enhance the capacity, systems, and technical operations of NSAP so that it can generate more accurate, timely, and science-based fisheries stock assessment data for the country. ### (Nicko Amor Flores)