RP gov’t reiterates support to SEAFDEC AQD
The Philippine government through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has expressed its support to Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department that 37th foundation day recently.
“(Allow me to) express BFAR’s institutional gratitude to AQD for generating and then generously sharing with us (its) science-based, appropriate and sustainable tropical aquaculture technologies and practices,” said BFAR Director Malcom Sarmiento, who attended the event.
He also said that Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has a strong preference for the intensification and enhancement of aquaculture projects all over the country.
Aquaculture is still considered the main driver of the country’s fish production endeavor, and is vital to the country’s food security program.
In 2007 according to BFAR, aquaculture comprised 47 percent of the country’s total fish production of 4.7 million metric tons valued at P180 billion. From this production, the country’s overall fish export is worth P26 billion. SEAFDEC’s budget for research and development from the national government is less than one percent of total export.
“Given our limited capacity to undertake in-house, self-funded R&D activities, we (at BFAR) consider ourselves truly blessed for the privilege of being right where AQD is trailblazing (innovations) that include abalone breeding and culture; fish health management; aquaculture biotechnology; and, domestication of mudcrab in captivity,” Sarmiento said.
“The good news is that by resolving to work together, BFAR and AQD have managed to share talents and resources and prevented unnecessary duplication of efforts.”
Sarmiento said the DA-BFAR will pursue a nationwide program for breeding and hatchery of economically-important fishes to bolster the country’s capacity to produce and supply fish fingerlings to meet the requirements of growers and to seed the government’s fingerling dispersal program for the benefit of small fishers.
Also, the ongoing mariculture program, where fish farmers can cheaply rent cages and culture facilities without expensive capital outlay, needs seedstock and feeds.
“SEAFDEC is quite strong in these two areas – seed production and feeding management,” said Dr. Joebert Toledo, chief of SEAFDEC AQD.
He said that “in its 37 years, AQD has first developed, then demonstrated to entrepreneurs, and then continuously refined the hatchery technologies for milkfish, tiger shrimp, grouper, abalone, mudcrab, freshwater prawn to name a few.”
“Most recently, we have developed a working technology for the hatchery and cage culture of sea cucumber. We have trained mostly Filipinos in these mature technologies and they have become the workhorses of private industry and BFAR itself, with quite a number becoming OFWs and international consultants,” Toledo added.
He said that SEAFDEC has also made its research information openly available to all.
“In feed formulation for instance, most of the formulations made by feed companies are based on the basic requirements of fish for nutrients like protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, among others. These are part of SEAFDEC’s early results that have been widely disseminated,” he said.*
