Pacific white shrimp hatchery up in Iloilo
Iloilo has been identified and accredited by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to breed and produce the Pacific white shrimp
The press report of the DA disclosed that the agriculture department has established four accredited hatcheries in Luzon and the Visayas to breed and produce the Pacific white shrimp, also known as Peneaus vannamei, as part of its continuing initiatives to revive the once-robust shrimp industry in the country.
BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento said that the other accredited hatcheries for Pacific white shrimp are located in Bohol, Cebu and Pangasinan.
Director Sarmiento said that the Pangasinan hatchery is the BFAR facility which is used as the central hatchery of Peneaus vannamei.
It was learned from the BFAR Regional Office in Western Visayas that the accredited hatchery in Iloilo to produce the Pacific white shrimp is owned by Ms. Stella Aileen Jamandre.
Sarmiento said that the Agriculture Department has been experimenting in the culture of vannamei in freshwater and has been successful so far.
He said that as part of the strict measures ordered by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, only pathogen-free broodstocks of vannamei enter the country. It has limited breeders only from Honolulu and Florida, USA.
The Philippines, which previously ranked No. 3 in the world, slid to 10th place in 2003, after being overtaken by Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
The DA press report disclosed that Secretary Yap has assured the industry leaders that they would have a ready market for their Peneaus vannamei produce because he plans to make this highly affordable commodity available to low-income consumers in the "bagsakan" or drop-off centers and barangay food terminals that the DA have set up in various strategic location in Metro Manila.
The BFAR Director said that the highly encouraging results from almost two years of intensive studies by BFAR on Peneaus vannamei stocks had been affirmed by both fisheries experts and stakeholders in the shrimp industry, the DA press report disclosed. (PIA/T.Villavert)