SEAFDEC/AQD spearheads 3-year program to expand aquaculture

GUIMBAL, Iloilo – The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) is spearheading a three-year program to aggressively expand aquaculture development in the province of Antique.

In a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed yesterday between SEAFDEC AQD and the local government of Antique led by Exequiel Javier, SEAFDEC AQD, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, will implement starting this year a P5.4-million program focusing on the institutional capacity development on sustainable aquaculture and stock enhancement in Antique. This is part of Antique’s bid to establish itself as a major player in the growing aquaculture business in this region.

"The strategy is to transfer and disseminate science-based information and appropriate aquaculture and stock enhancement techniques. We want this program to be community-based, targeting smallholders in coastal communities that could later, venture whether as individuals or groups, sustainable aquaculture that would make fish farmers in Antique prudent resource users of their fishing grounds," said Dr. Jobert D. Toledo, chief of SEAFDEC AQD.

Toledo said Antique asked assistance from SEAFDEC in coming up with measures to safeguard the province’s coastal resources and at the same time provide livelihood for the coastal folk.

Antique, according to Toledo has the potential for aquaculture development now sweeping Western Visayas. He noted Antique’s large supply of fish from marine fishing grounds and inland fishponds makes fish processing another possible area for investment.

The province has 416,320 hectares of brackishwater available for inland fish production and 18 deep-sea fishing operations. It also has 5,000 hectares available for seaweeds culture whose estimated monthly output of 600 to 800 metric tons could easily supply a medium-scale processing plant. The aquaculture sector yield the highest production due to seaweed production.

Toledo said SEAFDEC scientists, researchers and trainors will develop the institutional capacities of local government units of Antique, non-government organizations and community-based organizations in transferring and adopting appropriate aquaculture technology and stock enhancement techniques.

During the three-year program, SEAFDEC researchers and intended beneficiaries will collaborate on research and development areas that include trial runs of selected aquaculture species such as milkfish, grouper, red snapper, seaweeds, abalone and mudcrab.

Demonstration farms for the culture of grouper (lapu-lapu) and seabass in floating net cages and in ponds in selected sites will be set up in the first year of the project that will be funded by Congressman Javier’s country development fund. The culture of milkfish, shrimp and mudcrab will also be introduced in with possible funding sources from LGUs and Landbank of the Philippines.

For the stock enhancement component, the focus will be on abalone, giant clam sea horse.