AQD releases two turtles in the wild

AQD13_Dec 14_Panaw Pawikan_Anini-y, Antique On December 14, two turtles made their way back into the sea where they belong. The release, dubbed Panaw Pawikan, was arranged by AQD’s FishWorld and the local government of Anini-y, Antique. Uriel, a 12-year-old male hawksbill, called AQD home for almost five years, while Antiqua, a female green turtle, was donated to AQD in February 2009. FishWorld curator Dr. Teodora Bagarinao, together with officials from Anini-y and DENR, facilitated their release in Nogas Island. AQD hopes Uriel and Antiqua stay healthy and clear of fishing gears forever.

AQD presents papers at international gatherings

From September 27 to October 2, AQD researcher Dr. Nerissa Salayo attended the UNITAR workshop in Hiroshima, Japan together with DENR Region V Director Felix Mendoza. They presented the results of the UNITAR-Bannai Small Grants project at AQD and DENR, that is, the two training workshops on sea and human security that were held in Masbate City and Culasi, Antique in 2009. The UNITAR panel commended the practical application of the project activities and its linkage to the integrated coastal management being promoted.

On November 3-6, researcher Ms. Jocelyn Ladja represented AQD to the Asia-Pacific Aquaculture Conference held at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ms. Ladja presented her paper entitled Nursery culture of Asian seabass Lates calcarifer in cages in pond: evaluation of diets for growth, survival, protein efficiency and feed conversion ratios. The event was hosted by the Malaysian Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Based Industries and organized by the Asia-Pacific chapter of the World Aquaculture Society, Malaysia Fisheries Society and University Putra Malaysia.

On November 8-12, AQD scientist Dr. Emilia Quinitio participated in the isambcInternational symposium on aquaculture biology, and management of commercially important crabs (ISABMC) at Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China. Dr. Quinitio presented a paper on the domestication of mud crab Scylla serrata which she co-authored with Dr. Ma. Rowena Eguia, Dr. Fe Dolores Estepa, Ms. Joana Joy dela Cruz, Mr. Eduard Rodriguez, and Mr. Gaudioso Pates. As a scientific committee member of the ISABMC, Dr. Quinitio chaired and co-chaired sessions on Genetics & breeding and hatchery & larval culture, respectively.

On November 23-27, AQD participated in the East Asian seas congress held in Manila. Present during the event were AQD Chief Dr. Joebert Toledo, scientist Dr. Ma. Rowena Eguia, associate scientist Dr. Nerissa Salayo, and training & information head Mr. Renato Agbayani. The congress was organized by Partnership in the Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA).

From November 27 to 30, AQD training head Ms. Kaylin Corre and development communication head Ms. Milagros CastaƱos represented AQD in the International symposium on aquaculture & fisheries education (ISAFE) held in Pathumthani, Thailand. Ms. Corre and Ms. CastaƱos, who made the trip with support from AquaFish CRSP and AQD, gave an oral presentation on “Experiential learning and book development: the case of SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department.”

AQD specialists conduct prawn training in Brunei

 

Dr. Ma. Rowena Eguia (3rd person seated from right and Mr. Manuel Laron (2nd person seated from right) with training participants and officials of the Fisheries Department

AQD researchers Dr. Ma. Rowena Eguia and Mr. Manuel Laron conducted an on-site training on breeding and larval rearing of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii in Negara, Brunei Darussalam. The training was held at Sg Jambu Fish Farm from October 12 to November 14. The 25 trainees attending were Brunei Fisheries Department staff and local fisheries vocational school faculty. Brunei Fisheries Department Director Yang Mulia Hajah Hasnah Ibrahim expressed their need for AQD’s technical assistance on freshwater aquaculture technologies and their plans for the Sg Jambu Fish Farm to become a lead center for aquaculture training, production, and research of freshwater species in Brunei Darussalam.

AQD assists in rural aquaculture training in the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia

Training session in the Philippines

AQD assisted in the conduct of the Human resource development (HRD) on-site training course on rural aquaculture in three SEAFDEC member countries -- Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia. The training series is part of the SEAFDEC project entitled HRD on poverty alleviation and food security by fisheries intervention in the ASEAN Region funded by the Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund of the ASEAN Foundation. Graduates of the HRD training of trainers in aquaculture that was conducted by AQD in 2008 helped facilitate the training and demonstration sessions for small-scale fishers, farmers and other stakeholders in their respective countries.

In the Philippines, 21 trainees participated in the course on abalone farming held September 28 to October 2 in Catbalogan, Samar. The course had lectures on abalone culture, socioeconomics and financial analysis, followed by hands-on and demonstration sessions. Other topics included siganid culture in cages, aquasilviculture, and identification of seaweeds. AQD staff Mr. Vincent Encena II and Ms. Dianne Hope Tormon were the resource persons while BFAR training center head Ronnie Berida provided logistical support. Training session in Cambodia

In Indonesia, 15 trainees attended the course on catfish culture given by AQD researchers Dr. Ma. Lourdes Aralar and Ms. Antonietta Evangelista. The course was held in Boyolali Regency, Central Java from October 20 to 24, and focused on seed production and grow-out of the Dumbo catfish. The Indonesian Departmen Kelautan dan Perikanan (Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries) helped organize and facilitate the course.

Meanwhile, in Cambodia, 20 persons took part in the course covering nursery and grow-out of high value fish species such as grouper, snapper and seabass. Coordinated by Mr. Neang Sovuthdy of the Cambodian Fishery Administration (FiA), the course was held in Tomnok Rolok, Sihanoukville from November 11 to 17. AQD researcher Didi Baticados and AQD’s Igang station head Mr. Albert Gaitan were resource persons. Additional topics discussed included disease management, marketing of aquaculture products and participatory resource assessment.

Review of GOJ-TF funded projects at AQD

 

GOJ-TF review meeting

On December 9-10, the Annual progress meeting of Government of Japan-Trust Fund programs in AQD was held in Iloilo. A total of 32 studies comprising three projects were evaluated during the meeting. The three projects were (1) Development of fish disease surveillance system; (2) Development of technologies and human capacity building for sustainable aquaculture; and (3) Stock enhancement for threatened species of international concern. Dr. Motohiko Sano and Dr. Koichi Okuzawa of the Fisheries Research Agency (Japan) evaluated the projects. Mr. Tadahiro Kawata from the SEAFDEC Secretariat was also present to give his comments. Participants included scientists and research staff from AQD, University of the Philippines Visayas, the Department of Fisheries Administration (Cambodia), Department of Fisheries (Myanmar), Research Institute for Aquaculture 2 and 3 (Vietnam), Research Institute for Freshwater Aquaculture (Indonesia), and Inland Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute (Thailand).