BFAR experiment yields bigger bangus

DAGUPAN CIY, Philippines   – Another breakthrough in milkfish production was made here when an experiment by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) yielded bangus weighing 500 grams each.

BFAR said the experiment was done in a face cage in Sual town using plant-based feeds that lowered the use of fishmeal by 40 percent.

Westly Rosario, BFAR center chief here and executive director of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center, told The STAR that they were very happy with the result.

“Reducing the use of fishmeal by 40 percent is big (savings),” Rosario said, adding since the 1970s, aquaculturists have been looking for an alternative source of protein for animals and fish.

“The answer came with this technology from the United Soybean Board (USB),” he said.

Rosario said they used floating extruded feeds based on USB formulation, which was easily and efficiently digested by the milkfish.

He said they regularly tested the fish on the volume of feeds it could consume at pleasure to make sure everything is eaten.

“Everything was consumed and hardly was there any leftover. The use of feeds becomes effective and they (bangus) grow fast,” Rosario said.

The experiment showed the fish grew more than half a kilo in five months. In ordinary commercial feed meal it only grew by as much as 300 grams within the same period.

The harvest in Barangay Bacquioen, Sual yesterday was estimated at 1.5 metric tons.