Cebu-GTH advocates seashell farming to sustain raw materials

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Gifts, Toys and Housewares, Foundation Inc., (Cebu-GTH) is pushing for the fast implementation of its “Sea Shell Farming” project in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to sustain exporters’ requirement for shells.

Cebu-GTH member of the board and past president Pete Sepulveda said that the project is now being moved as exporters are now importing its shell requirements from other countries.

According to Sepulveda, although this is supposedly a joint project with the Fashion Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters (FAME), the Cebu-GTH will take the lead in fast tracking in the project, by identifying the islets within Cebu province, that have potential grow different kinds of shells needed by exporters.

“We need a sustainable supply for our raw materials,” Sepulveda said.

In an earlier interview with Cebu-GTH president Ramir Bonghanoy he said that with the increasing demand for shell-based products for exports main in the fashion and home accessories, it is now high-time to culture the most in-demand shells like the different species of Mother Pearls, Trocas, among others.

The exporter groups will also coordinate closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in this endeavour.

Initially, GTH had identified some Islets in Cebu province and coastal areas in Samar, Bohol, Negros, and Palawan as conducive sites for shell farming.

According to Bonghanoy, Shells are the most in-demand raw material requirement for the creative manufacturing sector, ever since.

The Mother of Pearl Shell for instance has different species which are the most common raw materials for exporters. These are; the Gold Lip, Yellow Lip, Black Lip, Brown Lip, and Black Tab (Mother of Pearl).

Aside from the rising demand of shell raw materials, exporters are also facing competition with the ongoing export of raw shells or unprocessed shells to China.

Although, GTH and FAME had already submitted a position paper to ban this kind of activity through the PHilExport-Cebu, the government still has to act on this concern, he said.

Conservatively, the Cebu export industry is requiring an average estimate of 10 to 12 tons of raw sea shells every month. This is not to include; the performance of recovering market for fashion and home accessories sector.

Bonghanoy said as exporters’ were already planting trees to give back to the environment and sustain the supply of its raw materials, heavy users of shells should also do the same.

Besides, Shell Farming is not new in the Philippines. In fact, Bonghanoy said exporters who are heavily using Shells are sourcing their supplies from different privately owned “Shell Farming” facilities across the country.

“I’m confident that the government will help us on this matter,” said Bonghanoy who is the chief executive officer and president of Bon Ace Fashion Tools, which is targeting the European market. (FREEMAN)