The Pangasinan Star ONLINE

Seaweeds industry thriving

By DANNY O. SAGUN
(PIA- Pangasinan)

LINGAYEN ---The seaweeds industry in five western Pangasinan towns is starting to reap dividends for the growers, the office of provincial agriculturist said Thursday.

Some 15 fisherfolk-families from the town of Dasol, Anda, Infanta, Sual and Bolinao tried their luck on the fledgling industry starting in April last year and found it viable in their areas.

In Dasol, the Eastern Osmena Fishermen Organziation started the project on a hectare using both the long line and the lantay methods. Most of their produce was replanted to expand their project and some of these were marketed during the Seaweeds Trading in Pangasinan last Feburary 20, Ugaban reported.

The Baquioen Fisherfolk Association of barangay Baquioen in Sual also embarked on the project the same month last year but in a smaller area of .019 hectare. The produce was also used for expansion and some of it marketed during the trade fair.

Two fisherfolk groups started the same project in the island town of Anda last March -- the Sablig Barangay Multi-Sectoral Association and the Macalaeng Samahang Multi-Sectoral ng Barangay – using long line method in growing seaweeds on a hectare plantation.

The Samahang Pangkalikasan ng Arnedo, Inc. in Bolinao meanwhile began its own project in January while the Los Pescadores Association of Poblacion, Infanta began theirs last only last May.

A similar seaweeds project of the Rabon Fisherfolk Association in San Fabian town which started in February was not as successful however due to problems on salinity of water, Ugaban disclosed. She clarified however that technically, the seaweeds industry in that coastal town is viable, quoting experts from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources.

She noted that a nearby river which empties into the Lingayen Gulf dilutes the seawater at the project site. Seaweeds need higher salinity to thrive , she observed.

A similar situation exists in other nearby coastal towns of Lingayen and Binmaley and in Dagupan City so no one has yet dared venture on the seaweeds project, said to be a booming export industry in southern Philippines.

Seaweeds are processed into several finished products such as toothpaste.

Experts noted a common disease called “ice-ice” affecting seaweeds. Poaching, fish grazing and infestation of epiphytes are the other problems confronting the industry, she said.

If successful, growers could realize some 70 metric tons per hectare in one cropping of 60 days or 280 MT annual production in four cropping (wet weight) or 40 MT (dry weight).

Selling price of seaweeds is P25 per kilo.