June 1, 2010

 

 

The abalone industry can flourish in Mindanao, Philippines due to locations suitable for growing the tropical abalone, a high-value aquaculture product, an aquaculture and fisheries expert said.

 

Vincent Encena, an abalone specialist from the South-east Asia Fisheries Development Centre Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC-AQD), said that Mindanao could potentially produce a lot of abalone due to favourable weather and availability of seaweeds.

 

He said Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Sur and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), particularly Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu provinces, where tropical abalone wild stocks may be found, are potential areas for prospective abalone farms.

 

Siargao Island, Sarangani province and General Santos City, with its numerous tuna-canning facilities, have the biggest potential areas for abalone growing and processing, respectively, he added.

 

Abalone, which is considered a delicacy in Asia, is a single-shelled, herbivorous marine mollusk found under rocks and coral rubble, and is known for its sweet and firm meat.

 

Encena said canned abalone is one of the preferred product forms in the Chinese market, which is the biggest market for abalone in the world. While a container-load of canned tuna is valued at US$40,000, the same container-load of canned abalone is valued US$390,000.

 

However, wild stocks of abalone in the Philippines are in decline due to unregulated harvests and overfishing, he said, adding that abalone needs to be farmed or cultured for the future need of the processing industry

 

A processing line for abalone may be incorporated in the tuna-cannery line, with minimum investment since most of the tuna canneries in General Santos City are not operating fully due to the lack of raw materials for canning. "This way overhead on tuna canneries are reduced and a high-value canned product other than tuna is produced," Encena said.

 

Besides rich in seaweeds, these potential abalone sites have available areas for sea-based farms and access to processors and major abalone markets.

 

The average abalone-production capacity of the identified potential Mindanao areas ranges from 10 to 50 tonnes per year, he added.

 

The Philippines in 2006 was the top exporter of frozen abalone to Hong Kong, with around 30%, while Australia got around 23% of the frozen market. Abalone products are also exported to Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Singapore.