According to industry experts tuna stakeholders in General Santos City should take advantage of opportunities in aquaculture production in the face of dwindling tuna stocks across the world’s primary fishing grounds. The experts urged the stakeholders to diversify into aquaculture as a way of adapting to the decline in global tuna catches amid high fuel costs and increasing international competition.
Ramon Macaraig, president of the Chamber of Aquaculture and Ancillary Industries in Sarangani (Chains), explained that the aquaculture production in the country has significantly expanded over the years with the industry now valued at $750 million. It is said 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.
Macaraig told that aquaculture production in Mindanao offers platform for growth with a variety of species available. He added that diversification into aquaculture can supplement the incomes of those who at present depend exclusively on the tuna catch. According to him 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 while it is not yet economically feasible to farm yellow-fin tuna and other commercial tuna species.
Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) assistant director Gil Adora said the investment potential of aquaculture has led to the development of mariculture parks’ in the Philippines.
