AQD FishWorld joins deep sea survey-expedition

AQD FishWorld curator Dr. Teodora Bagarinao joined an expedition dubbed LUMIWAN 2008 that surveyed deep-sea benthic fauna of the South China Sea. The expedition team, aboard the research vessel MV DA-BFAR left Manila on March 22 and made it back April 2 after going to 68 sampling stations off Mindoro and Palawan.

The expedition was conducted by the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle of Paris, the Smithsonian Institution of Washington DC, DA-BFAR, and the University of San Carlos. Other than Dr. Bagarinao, museum scientists from France, USA, New Caledonia, Taiwan, Russia, Singapore, and WorldFish were on-board.

German student conducts thesis at AQD

Ms. Karin Isabela Kühn conducted her Master's degree thesis at AQD from February to April 2008. She is a student of Agricultural Biology at Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany. She compared the growth performance and survival of the giant freshwater prawn in cages relying solely on natural food and those fed with commercially formulated feeds. She also conducted digestibility studies of commercial feeds in prawns using titanium dioxide as digestibility marker.

Her work at AQD was supervised by AQD scientist Dr. Ma. Lourdes Aralar while her supervisors in Germany are Prof. Dr. Klaus Becker and Dr. Ulfert Focken.

AQD and fisherfolk explore the concept of resource management

Under its regional stock enhancement program (socioeconomics component), AQD organized information and planning seminars with and for the program's target community (Brgy. Molocaboc) in Sagay, Negros Occidental in west central Philippines.

The first topic was on the biology of abalone and giant clam to prompt better appreciation of marine resources; this was conducted 13 March and attended by 39 fishers, gleaners, local government officers, Bantay Dagat personnel (local sea patrol) and Sagay Marine Reserve (SMR) staff.

The second topic was on ecotourism, conducted 13 May and attended by 47 people.

The third, a Participatory Action Plan Development, was on 14 May with 41 people in attendance. This activity came up with a community resource map, priority list of problems and corresponding solutions relevant to Sagay fisheries and the collaborative stock enhancement initiatives among AQD, SMR and the local government.

The stock enhancement program is funded by the Government of Japan Trust Fund.

AQD exhibits on food security

The Philippines is known as the fiesta islands, and AQD joined five exhibitions which have been timed to coincide with town festivals. In each activity, AQD showcased aquaculture technologies that can improve livelihood for food security.

The Bicol Trade Fair held April 13-19
was organized by the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the City Government of Naga. It introduced the Bicolanos and their visitors to trade and investment opportunities in the province.

The Sinigayan Agri-Fair was from March 14-17 in Sagay City. Among the guests who visited AQD's booth were Department of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Congressional Representative Julio Ledesma IV with his wife-actress Assunta de Rossi.

The Semana sang Iloilo (or Iloilo Week) Agri-Fair was held April 8-11 at the Capitol Grounds in Iloilo City. AQD likewise participated in the Capiz Farmer's Day organized by the Provincial Government of Capiz last April 14 in Roxas City. AQD also joined the one-town-one-product trade fair organized by the Rizal local government units and the Department of Trade & Industry that ran from 12-15 June in a shopping mall in Taytay, Rizal.

Shrimp farmers in the Philippines go for the Pacific white shrimp

Thirty-eight (38) grow-out farms and seven (7) accredited hatcheries might not seem a lot, but their very existence signals the Philippines' entry into white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei aquaculture.

Foreign and local experts speaking during the 6th Philippine Shrimp Congress held 28-30 May 2008 in Bacolod City, south of the Philippine capital of Manila, have agreed on how to ensure success in white shrimp culture:

1. the use of specific-pathogen free (SPF) or specific-pathogen resistant (SPR) broodstock and "high-health" fry. Importations of SPF or SPR broodstock will only be from government-approved sources. At the moment, only 10 facilities in the U.S.A. are accredited, all pre-cleared or certified by the Oceanic Institute or the United States Marine Shrimp Farming Program Consortium. On the other hand, hatcheries producing "high-health" fry from these imported broodstock would have to seek accreditation from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Accreditation is contingent upon water treatment (incoming and effluent water), physical isolation, aeration, and sanitation & disinfection facilities and practices.

2. the use of best management practices (BMPs) in grow-out farms which means:

• provision of settling & treatment ponds, filtration system & reservoirs
• the use of probiotics (several products are commercially available and usually made-up of Bacillus spp.);
• installation of biosecurity measures, including tire bath at farm entrance, footbath & hand disinfection at the pond entrance, nets & high-density polyethylene liners as crab fence, bird scaring devices, individual paraphernalia for each pond, and hygiene facilities for farm personnel
• continuous monitoring of shrimp stock for disease symptoms. BFAR and other institutions like SEAFDEC/AQD have disease diagnostic laboratories where shrimp farmers can send shrimp samples
• Grow-out farms also need to get certification from BFAR prior to their operation.

3. the marketing of the right size of shrimp demanded by consumers, and compliance by producers, processors & exporters to regulations on food safety (e.g. HACCP), traceability, environmental and social components (e.g. fair trade)

The road to white shrimp in the Philippines has been long and paved with controversies. Prior to January 2007, the government banned the importation of L. vannamei (it is not native to the country) amidst fears of exotic disease agents that would ride on the white shrimp.

White shrimp culture in other countries is not problem-free. It has been hit by viruses -- i.e., WSSV, taura syndrome virus, yellowhead virus, gill-associated virus, infectious hypodermal & hematopoietic necrosis virus, and infectious myonecrosis virus – and bacteria (necrotizing hepatopancreatitis).

But the private sector, through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Board, lobbied for the lifting of the ban because shrimp farmers found tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) culture extremely difficult, as they have been forced to live with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) among other diseases. Some losses have been devastating.

It's too early for the Philippines to appear on the white shrimp radar. The biggest producing countries are Thailand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Ecuador and Brazil. Since white shrimp was first introduced to Asia from Ecuador in 2000, production has jumped 1,000% to nearly 1.6 million metric tons in 2005. In contrast, tiger shrimp only increased 15% in the same period. Shrimp production is now dominated by white shrimp (78%) and most (74%) are produced in Asia.

The need for research and development

Speaking at the Shrimp Congress, Philippine Senator Edgardo J. Angara called for an intensified research and development (R&D) effort to help boost the country's shrimp industry.

"Following the collapse of shrimp farming in the last decade due to the unsustainable practices and diseases, we realize now more than ever the need to beef up efforts at developing technologies and practices that will ensure the sustainability of the industry. I believe that potential problems in the shrimp industry can be prevented and by strengthening our R&D efforts," said Angara, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food.

He added, "Traditional farming methods no longer suffice. An export-oriented industry such as this requires more technology-intensive practices. Therefore, we must provide massive training and skills development for local shrimp growers and fishers, as well as their children. We will improve farming productivity if we are able to adopt modern technology and produce competent technical manpower."

Angara also sees four major solutions in achieving long-term viability and productivity of the Philippine shrimp industry, enumerating among others: the need to tap existing pond resources, introduction of cost-effective and environment-friendly farming practices, adoption of a sound biosecurity program and to genetically improve shrimp species especially the tiger shrimp.

"If we strengthen research and development in the country, shrimp industry's output and productivity will definitely improve as investment in R&D has the highest economic return of all economic activities," he said.

The Shrimp Congress was organized by PHILSHRIMP Inc. with the support of DA-BFAR, DOST Region VI, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Negros Prawn Producers & Marketing Cooperative Inc, and the World Aquaculture Society.

The industry sponsors are Cruz Aqua / Epicore / Kona, Merck, Hoc-Po Feeds, Santeh Feeds, Schering-Plough. Spectrum International, Inve, BNH Marketing, Cargill, Feedmix, Novus, B-Meg, Yama Water Inc, CP, Bayer Animal Health / Genereach, Biostadt, and 2Go-Aboitiz.

AQD’s researcher bags best paper award

Congratulations are in order for AQD's Ms. Eleonor Tendencia as she garners a prestigious award for her published paper.

Entitled Polyculture of green mussels, brown mussels and oysters with shrimp control luminous bacterial disease in a simulated culture system, the paper was selected as the Best Published Paper in Aquaculture/Inland Fisheries by the Dr. Elvira O. Tan Memorial Awards for 2008.

Ms. Tendencia will be honored during the Science Community's celebration of the National Science and Technology Week on July 18, 2008 at the D.L. Umali Auditorium College, Laguna, Philippines.

Ms. Tendencia is a Scientist at AQD. She is a PhD candidate of Aquaculture and Fisheries of Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

Read this award-winning paper in the journal Aquaculture 272:188-191.

AQD launches new publications during 35th anniversary

Hot off the press: four new SEAFDEC/AQD publications for sale.

These, plus new flyers, an institutional video, and a compendium of SEAFDEC-developed technologies will be unveiled July 9th at Tigbauan, Iloilo during the book launching program.

The four aquaculture extension manuals are: (1) the second edition of The biology of mud crabs Scylla spp. ET Quinitio and FDP Estepa; (2) Abalone hatchery by AC Fermin, MR dela Peña, RSJ Gapasin, MB Teruel, SMB Ursua, VC Encena II and NC Bayona; (3) Breeding and seed production of the Asian catfish Clarias macrocephalus by JDT Fermin, AC Fermin, RF Bombeo, AD Evangelista, MR Catacutan and CB Santiago; and (4) Grow-out culture of the Asian catfish Clarias macrocephalus by EB Coniza, MR Catacutan and JDT Fermin.

Also to be launched are the AQD Highlights (annual report); the AQD Magic video; the flyers for Abalone culture, ABOT AquaNegosyo, SEAFDEC/AQD and Institutional capacity Development for Sustainable Aquaculture (ICD-SA); the DVD compendium; and reports on the Research output of the Fisheries Sector Program and the Tangab fishing gear.

The launching is one of the activities lined up for the 35th anniversary of SEAFDEC/AQD.

SEAFDEC Council reappoints AQD Chief Dr. JD Toledo for second term

An Ilonggo from Oton, Iloilo gets the nod from President Gloria Arroyo to continue leading the world-class research center in aquaculture that has main offices in Tigbauan, Iloilo. Dr. Joebert D. Toledo is Chief of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) – Aquaculture Department (AQD) for a second two-year term, April 2008 until April 2010.

This was recently announced in Bali, Indonesia where the SEAFDEC Council, the highest policy-making body of the Center, accepted and approved President Arroyo’s endorsement of Dr. Toledo.

Dr. Toledo, 47 years old, is married to Nieves Aquino-Toledo, a faculty member of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences of the University of the Philippines Visayas, Miag-ao, Iloilo. They have four children.

Dr. Toledo graduated from Oton National High School, obtained his B.S. in Fisheries degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and both his Masters in Science in Aquaculture and Doctorate in Agriculture in Applied Biological Science from the University of Hiroshima, Japan. He was previously seconded as Marine Fish Seed Production Expert to the Department of Fisheries of Brunei Darussalam.

Dr. JD Toledo’s first term

April 2006 was the first time AQD got a Chief who rose from the ranks. Dr. Toledo was first employed as research assistant in 1981 and became Scientist II in 2002. His status as a Department insider for 23 years made it easy for him to define and implement a vision of a streamlined organization capable of addressing the needs of the aquaculture industry for science-based technologies.Dr. Toledo’s first act was to bring back 22 researchers and other senior staff who mass-resigned in the middle of 2004. To carry out AQD’s programs, his management team first reviewed the technologies developed by AQD then identified gaps for further research and verification, and made plans for technology transfer.

Efforts in fund sourcing have also been done to improve AQD’s overall financial standing, which includes continuing collaboration with research partners. AQD was successful in tapping provincial and local government units to fund an Institutional Capacity Development for Sustainable Aquaculture (ICD-SA) project. ICD-SA aims to build the capacities of aquatic resource users by providing them knowledge and skills to become responsible resources managers and users. Arrangements were made with various stakeholder groups (i.e., government agencies, LGUs, international organizations, private companies, private foundations) to make this dream project a reality. Now on-board are the provinces of Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Northern Samar, and Misamis Occidental while talks are ongoing with the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Aurora, and Mindoro Occidental.

AQD institutionalized its technology transfer mechanism for the private sector while continuing to demonstrate technologies for people’s cooperatives and local governments. The private sector was offered the Agree-build-operate-transfer aquaculture business packages (ABOT AquaNegosyo), with abalone, mudcrab, grouper, milkfish, seabass, native catfish, bighead carp, tilapia, freshwater prawn, and seaweeds as priority commodities.AQD signed 17 new formal agreements with various partners for the implementation of its projects. Also notable is that for the first time, the mariculture park at the Igang Marine Station was opened up for the use of the private sector and a people’s cooperative.Also in 2007, around 80 research studies and technology generation projects were approved, some with external funding provided by the Government of Japan Trust Fund, ASEAN, Kagoshima University and Fisheries Research Agency in Japan, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, UP Visayas, DOST, and various private companies.

SEAFDEC is a regional treaty organization established in 1967 to promote fisheries development in Southeast Asia. Its member-countries are ASEAN + Japan. For more information, visit www.seafdec.org.ph

AQD at fairs and exhibits

Bicol trade fair

AQD made its presence known in Region V during the fourth year of the Bicol trade fair, organized by the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) and the City Government of Naga.

The activity, held last April 13-19 in Plaza Quezon and Plaza Rizal, Naga, Camarines Sur, was conducted to introduce the local folk (and visitors to Bicol), to trade and investment opportunities in the province.

The fair included consumer goods, real estate and tourism booths.

AQD was invited as the organizers felt that the aquaculture technologies it has developed can offer new opportunities to Bicolano entrepreneurs who may have very little knowledge of what AQD is, the new programs (ABOT and ICDSA) and services it can provide and what it has done in other regions in the Philippines.

Several of the booth visitors inquired about training programs (mostly on-site training), the ABOT AquaNegosyo, as well as the ICDSA programs of SEAFDEC. The trade fair was also a good opportunity to disseminate information regarding AQD's training and technology packages.

Sinigayan Agri-Fair

The first-ever Sinigayan Agri-Fair was one of the main attractions during the celebration of Sagay City's Sinigayan Festival, and AQD took part in the occasion.

The event ran from March 14-17 and was held at the city public plaza.

Among the guests who graced the festival were Department of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, who was the guest of honor and speaker during the opening program, Negros Occidental 1st District Rep. Julio Ledesma IV and his wife, actress Assunta de Rossi.

AQD set up a booth, where P3,630 worth of information materials were bought. Visitors also snapped-up free information brochures and flyers.

Semana sang Iloilo

Kultura kag turismo: padulong sa mainuswagon nga pala-abuton was the theme for the 107th celebration of the Semana sang Iloilo last April 8-11.

The four-day event, held at the Capitol Grounds in Iloilo City, was jam-packed with activities, including an agro-industrial fair, exhibit, foodfests, street dancing, fora, and a pageant search for Lin-ay sang Probinsya 2008.

AQD took part in the activity by putting up a booth displaying free flyers and entertaining queries from walk-in clients.

A who’s-who of AQD visitors

AQD never seems to run out of visitors, which is always a good thing. Both local and foreign guests were welcomed at AQD for the months of February and March.

PDAP group

A group of 28 persons from Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi made their way to AQD last February 21-22. The group was composed of coordinators and out-of-school youth (OSY) under the SPE3 (Sitangkai Seaweed Productivity Enhancement through Education & Extension) project of the Philippine Development Assistance Programme, Inc. (PDAP). This one-year program is dedicated to improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the OSY seaweed farmers. The program enrolled 110 OSYs, who are trained to become trainers/extension workers to the other 330 targeted OSYs in the nearby area, with the goal of reducing poverty through increased seaweed quality and productivity. Out of these 110 OSYs, 24 were brought by the coordinators to AQD to visit the hatcheries and the Dumangas and Igang stations. In addition to a discussion with Dr. Anicia Hurtado of AQD's Seaweed Strain Improvement Program, they also had an overview of abalone and seahorse culture with Ms. Shelah Mae Buen-Ursua. The coordinators were Mr. Alfred Allaga, Program Officer SPE3, Ms. Evangeline Faburada, Program Officer (Sitangkai Seaweed Industry) and Mr. Alexander Benedicto, Training Assistant.

NACA Officials

Last February 26-28, Mr. Sim Sih Yang of the Marine Finfish Aquaculture Program of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) in Thailand visited AQD along with Mr.Bambang Hanggono of the Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Center in Indonesia and Mr. Samart Detsathit, Fisheries Biologist of the Krabi Coastal Fisheries R&D Center of the Department of Fisheries in Thailand. The officials visited the different laboratory and hatchery facilities at TMS, IMS, DBS and other nearby hatcheries.

Malaysian visitors

Mr. John Brian Payne, Senior Technical Advisor from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Malaysia toured AQD with his son, Adam Payne last March 3-6. They had a meeting/consultation with the Chief and the Division heads, and visited the different laboratories and hatcheries at TMS, DBS and IMS. They also visited nearby hatcheries. Their main interest was in grouper culture.

MOAP Officials

Messrs. Samson Napigkit, Nicandro Lagas, Manolito Yap, Tito Piloton and Gil Caliso of the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) dropped by AQD last February 19-22. They met with AQD Chief Dr. Joebert Toledo, division heads and project leaders to know more about recent technologies, with emphasis on grouper culture. They also visited AQD's hatcheries/facilities at TMS, DBS and IMS to see the brackishwater ponds and cage culture facilities. The group also visited some private hatcheries near the area.

Hatchery training for the Philippines

Grouper aquaculturists were hopefully all the wiser after 19 days of training during the Grouper hatchery training for the Philippines.

Conducted from April 7-25 at AQD's Tigbauan Main Station, the training covered both lectures and hands-on practical sessions. The trainees were put through their paces in areas such as biology of grouper; site selection; hatchery design and construction; broodstock management and spawning; production of natural food; disease diagnosis; fish health management; larval and nursery rearing; fish nutrition; and grading of fry and fingerlings. Special topics on cage design and culture of marine fish and business planning, marketing management and economic indicators were likewise discussed.

The training was fully funded by the Australia Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) was the coordinating agency. Mr. Barney Smith of ACIAR and Mr. Sih Yang Sim of NACA dropped by during the training.

The 15 trainees were Mr. Stephen Abamo, Mr. Reynaldo Acap, Mr. John Aloria, Ms. Bernabe Aquino, Mr. Reynaldo Benson, Ms. Arlyn Carroz, Ms. Minvilu Casido, Mr. Primo Ebesate, Mr. Alan Failaman, Mr. Arnel Gabasa, Ms. Tina Marie Hautea, Mr. Jovert Javier, Mr. Oliven Lagua, Mr. Tito Piloton, and Ms. Ma. Caroline Tejero. There were five (5) observers from the private sector including one from LGU Aklan.

Reg’l workshop on aquatic animal health

Dr. Gilda Lio-Po, head of AQD's Fish Health Section, presented a paper on the development of fish disease surveillance system during the Regional workshop on aquatic animal health held in Bangkok, Thailand from March 25-28.

The workshop was organized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA).

The participants were welcomed by Dr. Fujita, OIE Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Professor Sena De Silva, Director General of NACA, and Dr. Supranee Chinabut, Adviser on Fish Health, Thailand's Department of Fisheries.

The four-day activity featured technical sessions on a wide range of topics, including the economic impact of aquatic animal diseases; an introduction to OIE standards for aquatic animal health; the World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID) and World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS); and important crustacean and fish diseases. Aquatic animal health situationers were also presented by representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, , Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In addition, practical sessions were also held, with topics on immediate notification and follow-up reports, preparation of six-monthly and annual reports, and hands-on training on WAHIS.

Bountiful fish harvests

Dumarao, Capiz

The fourth and last session of the Season-long training course on freshwater aquaculture, which tackled harvest and post-harvest handling, ended with, appropriately enough, the harvest of catfish, tilapia and freshwater prawn.

The activity, held last March 31-April 1 in Brgy. Tamulalod, Dumarao, Capiz, saw the members of Dumarao Fish Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DFFMPC) listen to lectures and perform hands-on harvest of their stocks.

Ms. Rose Mueda of UP Visayas handled the lectures, which dealt with proper handling and icing of aquatic products, preparation of materials for value addition, marketing techniques and the requirements in the establishment of fish processing ventures.

To date, a total of around 197 kilos of tilapia, 41 kilos of catfish, and 3.2 kilos of ulang – sold at P100, P110, and P200 per kilo, respectively – have been harvested from four cages, with supervision from AQD's Ms. Kaylin Corre, head of Training Section and Mr. Rosenio Pagador, Senior Training Assistant.

In the closing ceremonies, Mr. Renato Agbayani, Head of the Training and Information Division, advised the beneficiaries to re-invest and roll-over the revenue until the project is big enough so that the members could partake of the fruits of their labor. He also added that a second round of production, to be led by Dr. Josefa Fermin, Scientist at AQD, is being planned to give the beneficiaries a better grasp of the technology.

Mr. Virgilio Hapitan, DFFMPC chair, said that the project had benefited them by reducing poverty and unemployment in their area; in addition, they were able to utilize the natural resources in their area. He noted, however, that the project was not without challenges: he had to deal with the "behavior" of certain members. In spite of this, Mr. Hapitan learned a thing or two from the experience: "No is not really a no, and this can be changed into a yes, and that negative can be changed into positive." He also learned the importance of setting a good example as a leader, which includes always looking out for the welfare of the members. He recounted that the cooperative has plans of holding other income-generating activities.

Dumarao Mayor Leslie Warren Benjamin, for his part expressed his gratitude for the conduct of the training, which gave the people technical knowledge and skills in growing fish and crustaceans. He was also on hand to distribute certificates of training to 31 trainees and certificates of attendance to 19 others.

Capiz Provincial Agriculturist Ms. Sylvia dela Cruz and her staff were also present during the event.

The training course was implemented under the Institutional Capacity Development for Sustainable Aquaculture or ICD-SA, which has the main goal of empowering aquatic resource users by providing them knowledge to become efficient managers and prudent users of their resources.

Tibiao, Antique

April 16 wasn't such a bad day for the administrators, faculty and students of the Polytechnic State College of Antique-Tario Lim Campus, Tibiao, Antique.

After all, they were able to harvest not less than 100 kilos of hybrid catfish, with around four catfish per kilo. Culture took 5-6 months, with survival rate of 85 percent.

In addition to observing the harvest, AQD's Dr. Josefa Fermin and Ms. Kaylin Corre also took the opportunity to discuss with Dr. Victor Navarra, PSCA president, PSCA-Tario Lim Campus Administrator Dr. Armando Cabrillos, and Dr. Romeo Caturao on future activities and training sessions.

Training courses on Freshwater Aquaculture, and Research Methodology will be conducted in May and June 2008, respectively, to be funded by PSCA.

Igang, Guimaras

Once upon a time (August 2007), beneficiaries of the Petron-funded milkfish cage culture project stocked milkfish fingerlings at AQD's Igang Marine Station.

Since then, four harvests have been conducted, with the last one done March 18. A total of about 9,207 kilos of milkfish have since been reaped. Average body weight was around half a kilo per fish.

Sure, there were hitches: the FCR could've been lower, which could have resulted to higher sales, but with a survival rate of 97%, who's complaining?

It was a rewarding fishy-tale ending after almost seven months of hard work and season-long training sessions for those involved, but the payoff was worth it.

While the beneficiaries could crow about the bountiful harvest, another thing's for certain: the fish did not live happily ever after.

Info seminar in Sagay City

Giant clam and abalone, how do Sagay City fishers appreciate thee?

Let us count the ways: First, the fishers attended AQD's information seminar, which discussed the biology of the two species stocked in Carbin reef.

Second, they participated in the management and conservation of the clams and abalone by vowing not to extract these molluscs from the protected site.

The activity was held in Molocaboc Island last March 13. This was in response to fisherfolks' request that surfaced in last year's validation meeting. The November 30 meeting was part of the activities of the study Socio-economic analysis of stock enhancement of abalone and giant clams in Sagay Marine Reserve.

AQD's Mr. Ramil Piloton and Ms. Ellen Flor Solis conducted the seminar on the appreciation and biology of giant clams and abalone. Dr. Nerissa Salayo gave updates on the project on stock enhancement; this was followed by an open forum moderated by Dr. Salayo and Ms. Dianne Hope Tormon.

The speakers made it clear to the participants that these species should not be extracted from the reef, and that it takes several years for them to mature and spawn. (Giant clams are actually protected from extraction under the Fisheries Code).

The information seminar was not only attended by fishers of Sagay, but also by different stakeholders (41 fishers, all barangay officials, 2 patrol staff of SMR, 1 social development worker-SMR, 1 abalone trader).

The information seminar ended with an eye opener on the part of fishers on the feasibility of ecotourism on areas where stock enhancement is taking place. Furthermore, they requested an ecotourism seminar for next time.