Marine information available via text

They "texted" – and got the information they have long been looking for.

At the other end of the line to answer their queries were specialists of the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD).

The questions were on Philippine aquatic resources, fisheries and related fields.

Called Aqua Info-Text Services (AITS), the unique information tool which uses the text-messaging capability of cellular phones was started on Jan. 29 last year.

Under AITS, anyone with a cellphone can "text" dedicated cellphones of the council and receive information for free, said PCAMRD executive director Rafael Guerrero III.

The service is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Last year, 404 people sent inquiries to PCAMRD through their cellphones.

Most of the questions (255 or 63.1 percent) were about inland aquatic resources, fisheries and aquaculture, as received by the council’s Inland Aquatic Resources Division through cellphone number (0917) 3538440.

Sixty-three people (15.6 percent) sought information on marine aquatic resources, fisheries and science from the Marine Resources Division through (0917) 6095998.

Fifty-one people (14.6 percent) called the Research Information and Utilization Division (0917-2198204) to inquire about fish processing and post-harvest handling technologies.

Least contacted for information on aquatic resources socioeconomics and policy was the Aquatic Resources Socioeconomic and Policy Division (0917-3468543), which received only 27 calls (6.7 percent).