Grow exotic seafood, poor fisherfolk told

By Vicente Labro
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FISHERIES OFFIcials have an advice to poor fishing families in Eastern Visayas as a way of improving their lives: Grow blue crab, abalone, seaweed, milkfish and other exotic seafood.

A livelihood program of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is encouraging the fishermen to raise these marine creatures for extra income and food on their dining tables.

Seaweed seedlings cultured at the Guiuan Marine Fisheries Development Center (GMFDC) in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, about 150 kilometers from Tacloban City in Leyte, have been distributed to program beneficiaries.

The BFAR also gave away plastic buoys, straws and other materials needed to operate a seaweed farm last year. As a payback scheme, the agency requires the sea farmers to return the materials.

“Priority was given to seaweed farmers because of their experience,” said Juan Albaladejo III, fisheries regional director.

Seaweed laboratory

Extracts from certain seaweeds are used as stabilizers, gelling agents or emulsifiers in producing pet food, dental moulds, cloth dyes, toothpaste, salad dressings, flavored milk, cosmetics, welding rods and pizza toppings.

According to Albaladejo, the BFAR central office released some P4 million late last year for the establishment of a regional laboratory for seaweeds.

“I will put up more shelves so more of these quality (seaweed) seedlings could be given to farmers,” the official said.

The BFAR is also pushing for the commercialization of abalone and blue crabs following research studies conducted at the Guiuan fisheries center.

Abalone (Haliotis asinina) and blue crab (Portunus pelagicus) are among the top commercially important seafood found in the fishing grounds in Eastern Visayas. Their population, however, has declined drastically due to over-fishing and destruction of habitat, Albaladejo said.

He estimated that blue crabs would be nearing extinction after about five years in an area.

High prices

While the crustaceans are still seen in public markets, abalone is not so common. Both marine products command high prices maybe because of their scarcity or their being sought-after by gourmet cooks.

Cultured abalone has more meat than shell, Albaladejo said.

In a study undertaken last year, scientists found that growing abalone and blue crabs in bamboo or plastic cages was feasible and economically viable, and recommended that local farmers raise them, he said.

For the first time in the country, blue crabs will be cultured, he said.

The BFAR is looking for more fishing families interested in growing milkfish (bangus). It will sell fingerlings to them at a very cheap price, unlike before when these were bought in Iloilo and other faraway places.

“We will also be adopting the roll-over scheme,” Albaladejo said.

The GMFDC earlier conducted studies on the growing of bangus, groupers, tilapia, tuna and other fishes.