March 21, 2006

Philippines eyeing wider production of tilapia

Cultured in more than 70 countries, the Philippine aquaculture sector is looking at brighter prospects for tilapia as it has become the main staple of many poor fish farmers in the developing world.

Fishery experts have dubbed tilapia as "aquatic chicken" because it possesses many positive attributes that suit the fish for a varied range of aquaculture systems.

According to Dr Rafael Guerrero III, executive director for Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD), tilapia tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions and is highly resistant to diseases and parasitic infections.

He cited tilapia's good traits such as excellent growth rates on a low-protein diet, ready breeding in captivity, ease of handling and its wide acceptance as food fish.

Guerrero said tilapia has become a very important fish especially in Asia and Africa where rampant poverty has translated to protein deficiency and malnutrition.

Next to milkfish (more popularly known as "bangus"), tilapias are among the widely cultured species in the Philippines.

An estimated 15,000 hectares of freshwater ponds and 500 hectares of cages in lakes and reservoirs producing 50,000 metric tonnes is a clear indication that tilapia has been a commercial success in the country.

As a result of tilapia's popularity among Filipinos, the Philippines is now ranked fourth among the top 10 largest tilapia producers in the world after China, Egypt, and Thailand.

Other top producing countries, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), are Indonesia, Uganda, Mexico, Tanzania, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

Tilapia production grew by five percent during the last 14 years and surplus is expected to reach 10,000 metric tonnes by 2020.

Processed local tilapia products have also become important commodities in the international seafood trade but Guerrero said the country cannot supply the international market with frozen whole fish since Philippine tilapia commands a higher price than those coming from Thailand and Taiwan.