September 17, 2008

Tuna industry in Philippines diversifies into aquaculture production

A fish-farming project will soon be launched in Mindanao the 2nd largest island in the Philippines to diversify the tuna fishing industry into the farming of other species.

Mindanao offers opportunities for growth, with a variety of species available and the diversification into aquaculture can supplement incomes of those who depend exclusively on tuna catch, said Ramon Macaraig, president of the Chamber of Aquaculture and Ancillary Industries in Sarangani.

He also said that aquaculture production in the country has significantly expanded over the years, with the industry now valued at $750 million.

With the stricter enforcement of tuna management conservation measures resulting in lower catch levels worldwide, increasing domestic aquaculture production can fill in the current supply gap in local and foreign markets and ensure the country's food security.

While it is not yet economically feasible to farm yellowfin tuna and other commercial tuna species, there are high-value marine species with good potential in both domestic and Asia-Pacific markets, including grouper, pompano, mangrove snapper and Asian sea bass.

Gil Adora, assistant director of the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), said that the investment potential of aquaculture has led to the development of mariculture parks in the Philippines which promotes the expansion of fish production and help provide a livelihood for fishermen, accelerating socio-economic growth in underdeveloped areas.

Adora and Macaraig both noted the efforts of USAIDs' Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program to ensure the sustainability of Mindanao's small-scale aquaculture producers by providing them with aquaculture training and linking them with potential buyers and new markets.

Over the last decade, the GEM Program has also assisted the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., in introducing best production practices among its members; purse seine and handline fishing groups, canners, processors, traders and aquaculture producers to help strengthen the local tuna industry's global competitiveness and ensure its sustainability.