December 9, 2008
The aquaculture sector in Philippines is turning to biotechnology for ways to develop biofuel from marine algae and better fish spawns to meet the growing demand for local food supply and emerging markets for marine products.
A scientist from the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, Evelyn Grace T. de Jesus-Ayson, said aquaculture production needs to be increased to meet the demands for fisheries products.
In Southeast Asia, the consumption of fish products is seen to balloon to 19.7 million tonnes by 2020, from 14.1 million tonnes in 2000.
Ayson said applications of biotechnology in aquaculture include control of reproduction, genetic characterization and population genetics, aquaculture nutrition, control of diseases, growth enhancement and trans-genesis, genetic characterization and population genetics and high-density culture of micro-algae.
