BFAR drafts blueprint for mariculture highways

The Philippines is eyeing to become a major player in the multi-billion dollar live-food-fish export business by establishing two mariculture highways that will link the network of mariculture parks (MPs) already set up all over the country, said Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento Jr. of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

"The idea here is to synchronize both the production and harvest operations of the fish cages. This way, we will have more control in production that eventually could lead to increase our exports of high-value live fish species such as grouper or lapu-lapu and sea bass or apahap and other fresh/frozen fish and shellfish products like bangus and abalone that are produced in commercial quantities in the MPs," he said.

Sarmiento, who accompanied House Speaker Jose de Venecia in his recent official tour to China, revealed that in their series of meetings with China officials, many Chinese businessmen had signified their interest to venture into aquaculture in the country.

As a result of the visit, Chinese delegations will be visiting the country within the next few months to discuss possible areas of collaboration and partnerships with Filipino fish farmers, he said.

Roadmap

A brainchild of Director Sarmiento, the mariculture highway in the eastern seaboard will start from Surigao connecting to Samar and Leyte and further north to Casiguran Sound in Aurora, where a 300-hectare park has just been established early this year. Leyte and Samar host a total of 12 MPs which had already been in operation for the past few years.

On the other hand, the highway at the western seaboard will start from Tawi-Tawi where the construction of a P10-million multi-fish species hatchery and a P5-million mariculture park project are currently undertaken in collaboration with GEM-USAID and the LGU. This would connect to the mariculture parks in Zamboanga and then finally to Palawan.

According to Sarmiento, transport vessels will collect the high-value cultured fish from the MPs using the highways en route their respective ports of destination like Japan, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Shangdong, and Taiwan, among others.

"This scheme would ensure cheaper transport cost and better quality fish to the buyers, which eventually would enable the country to be an important player in the live food-fish export market," he said.

Mariculture park concept

To date, BFAR, in partnership with the respective local government units had already set up a total of 19 MPs in storm-sheltered and environmental laws-compliant coastal areas nationwide.

The MP concept is similar to an industrial estate where an area in the sea is subdivided into different plots for the farming of fish and other aquatic life using only approved and environmentally sound culture systems. Important facilities that entail a large capital outlay such as storm-resistant mooring systems and other support structures are set up by the government to encourage investors.

The fish cage operators, in turn, would lease an area from their local government where they will hook up their cages and proceed to fish farming. The operators are also required to train local residents for employment as caretakers, this way the local fish industry is boost up and additional incomes and jobs are generated.

The MPs are managed by the concerned local government units with technical and financial assistance provided by the BFAR.

Stability of fish prices

However, there are instances when fish cage operators experience unstable prices of their fish harvest especially during the glut season. With the twin highways, investors are assured of a good price for their produce considering that there would already be a ready market.

Sarmiento stressed that the fish farmers should ensure the availability of the required volume of fish products and that the schedules are met to ensure the sustainability of the industry. This is what the mariculture highway is designed to accomplish.

With the mariculture highways, Sarmiento is very optimistic that more jobs will be generated as various support and ancillary structures like hatcheries, cold storage, feeds and others will have to be put up.

The Philippines is a major exporter of fish products in the world, ranking 8th among the top fish producers. In 2004, the country’s total export value in terms of fish products amounted to close to $528 million with tuna on top of the list. Live high value species like lapu-lapu or grouper constitutes only 3.5 percent of the total export volume of 196,000 metric tons.