December 27, 2004

Philippines Unveil Plans To Develop Aquaculture Sector

The government aims to develop 17,217 hectares of aquaculture and mariculture lands and generate 743,540 jobs targeted for the sector by 2010.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said on Sunday that aquaculture registered the biggest growth in the first three quarters of 2004, with its output expanding by 26.25 percent and its gross value expanding 19.85 percent to more than PHP32 billion from the previous year's PHP26.7 billion.

"Production volume rose to 1.2 million metric tons (MT) from the year-ago 936,430 MT. The growth in earnings was achieved despite a 4.63-percent drop in farmgate prices from PHP28.54 million in the first nine months of 2003 to PHP27.22 million this year," Yap said.

Through aquaculture, the official said fish supply and prices have stabilized, income and employment have improved and the country's overfished seas were able to replenish their fishery resources.

To sustain or perhaps surpass its growth performance in aquaculture, the Department of Agriculture is set to reassess its aquaculture roadmaps for developing the sector, particularly seaweeds, bangus, tilapia and prawn, Yap said.

Yap announced that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will finish the construction of two seaweed solar dryers and nine freshwater fish cages, and will distribute 1.25 million fingerlings and 80 fishing gear in Central Mindanao.

BFAR has built five marine and freshwater cages, eight seaweed nurseries and seedling banks, and one solar dryer, and dispersed 18 million tilapia fingerlings in the region.

"The BFAR, next year, will produce 60 million GET Excel tilapia fingerlings, distribute 3,360 fishing gear and establish 93 techno-demo farms, including fish cages and five bangus satellite hatcheries nationwide.