The local tuna industry should take advantage of opportunities in aquaculture production in the face of dwindling tuna stocks across the world’s primary fishing grounds.
At the 10th National Tuna Congress held here earlier this month, aquaculture experts encouraged more tuna industry stakeholders to diversify into aquaculture as a way of adapting to the decline in global tuna catches
Aquaculture production in the country has significantly expanded over the years, with the industry now valued at $750 million,said Ramon Macaraig, president of the Chamber of Aquaculture and Ancillary Industries in Sarangani (CHAINS),
With the stricter enforcement of tuna management conservation measures resulting in lower catch levels worldwide, increasing domestic aquaculture production can fill in the current supply gap in local and foreign markets and ensure the country’s food security.
“Aquaculture production in Mindanao offers opportunities for growth, with a variety of species available,” Macaraig said, adding that diversification into aquaculture can supplement the incomes of those who at present depend exclusively on the tuna catch.
While it is not yet economically feasible to farm yellowfin tuna and other commercial tuna species, there are high-value marine species with good potential in both domestic and Asia-Pacific markets, including grouper, pompano, mangrove snapper and Asian sea bass.
China is still the main export market for high-value seafood such as live grouper, snapper, abalone and sea cucumber. Frozen tilapia, catfish and pompano are selling well in the U.S., while Japan is a major market for shrimps and crustaceans.
The sustainability of aquaculture operations depends on the feeding systems used, the acceptability of products in local and foreign markets, and choice of location for operations, Macaraig said.
Gil Adora, assistant director of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), said that the investment potential of aquaculture has led to the development of “mariculture parks” in the Philippines.
“These promote the expansion of fish production and help provide a livelihood for fishermen, [and can accelerate] socio-economic growth in underdeveloped areas,” Adora said.
A typical mariculture park covers a sea area of 500 hectares or more, and is equipped with a communal storm-resistant mooring system and boundary markers. It includes individual “farm plots” for fish cage operations, seaweed farming and other aquaculture activities.
Mindanao is an ideal location for mariculture activities due to its large production areas, year-round fish production, water quality and skilled manpower, Adora said
Adora and Macaraig both noted the efforts of USAIDs’ Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program to ensure the sustainability of Mindanao’s small-scale aquaculture producers by providing them with aquaculture training and linking them with potential buyers and new markets.
Over the last decade, the GEM Program has also assisted the SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc., in introducing best production practices among its members—purse seine and handline fishing groups, canners, processors, traders and aquaculture producers—to help strengthen the local tuna industry’s global competitiveness and ensure its sustainability.
