May 19, 2014
New hatchery to boost aquaculture production in the Philippines
The northwestern part of the country now has a steady source of quality fingerlings for fish farmers after the initial production conducted at a school''s hatchery.
The Community-Based Multi-Species Hatchery (CBMSH), a joint project of the Abulug National School of Fisheries in Abulug town, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office, was funded under the Philippine National Aquasilviculture Program (PNAP).
Felix Abugan, BFAR project coordinator, said they started collecting fingerlings since March 2014 and have harvested 40,000 pieces to date.
The fingerlings were stocked in the school''s fishponds while the succeeding production will be offered for dispersal to fishpond and fish cage operators in the area, Abugan said.
The hatchery produces saline tolerant tilapia using the BEST (Brackishwater Enhanced Saline Tilapia) strain from the BFAR national centre in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
Florencio Gauat, school principal, said the hatchery serves as an instructional facility in aquaculturewhere students can have hands-on training in fish breeding. "With the CBMSH, the school has made a great advance in its dream of becoming a centre of excellence in fingerling production," Gauat said.
Milagros Morales, BFAR Assistant Regional Director and PNAP head, pointed out that the hatchery is crucial towards the development of the aquaculture potential of northern Cagayan.
"The coastal municipalities have very vast potential mainly due to the numerous water bodies dotting the area. However, these areas are hardly utilised for fish farming partly due to the inadequate source of quality fingerlings," Morales explained.
Source: www.cnchemicals.com/