02 November 2005
FEATURE: Fry shortage
LINGAYEN – Limited supply of fry produced locally has been tagged as the weakest point of the centuries-old milkfish industry in Pangasinan, according to provincial government officials.
Provincial Agriculturist Jose Almendares said only 10 million fry are being produced locally annually against the high demand of 100 million fry by milkfish producers in 16 coastal towns and two cities of Pangasinan.
The 10 million fry is produced alone by the Dagupan-based National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), a research facility of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Almendares said they found out however that the fry being produced by NIFTDC have low survival rate yet compared with the fry being taken from the wild elsewhere in various parts of the country.
In order to sustain the milkfish industry in Pangasinan, the province is sourcing out its additional stocks of fry from adjacent Zambales, Ilocos Norte and as far south as Mindanao.
Since the turn of the century, the milkfish industry in Pangasinan depended mainly from fry being taken by concessionaires from the natural breeding ground of ‘sabalo’ in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
The remaining needs for fry by local producers are being supplied thru importation of this commodity from Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and even Hawaii in the United States, Almendares said.
Through a program supported by House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., congressman of the fourth district of Pangasinan, production of milkfish fry in the NIFTDC through the breeding of ‘sabalo’ in captivity, was started two years ago.
It was de Venecia, through his Countrywide Development Program who helped fund the country’s National Research and Breeding Center for Milkfish at the NIFTDC that initially produces 10 million fry.
Dr. Westly Rosario, NIFTDC chief, said that the program envisioned the setting up of satellite bangus hatcheries in various parts of the country where the eggs produced by the national research and breeding center would be channeled to be grown before their dissemination to the farmers.
Rosario is optimistic that in 10 years, not only Pangasinan but the entire Philippines will soon be sufficient in milkfish fry, and the country need not import the commodity from abroad anymore.
Almendares told the provincial board that there are 12,000 hectares of fishpens and 182 hectares for fish pens and cages in the province of Pangasinan that need regular supply of fry.
Statistics in 2004 alone showed that milkfish production from fishponds was pegged at 25,800 metric tons. This was dwarfed by the milkfish production from pens and cages at 222,000 metric tons.
Dagupan City, which earlier self-declared as the ‘bangus capital of the world’, produces 25 percent of the total milkfish production in the province. The average harvest per hectare in fishponds is two tons while the average harvest per hectare in pens and cages is 200 times more. (PNA)
Provincial Agriculturist Jose Almendares said only 10 million fry are being produced locally annually against the high demand of 100 million fry by milkfish producers in 16 coastal towns and two cities of Pangasinan.
The 10 million fry is produced alone by the Dagupan-based National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), a research facility of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Almendares said they found out however that the fry being produced by NIFTDC have low survival rate yet compared with the fry being taken from the wild elsewhere in various parts of the country.
In order to sustain the milkfish industry in Pangasinan, the province is sourcing out its additional stocks of fry from adjacent Zambales, Ilocos Norte and as far south as Mindanao.
Since the turn of the century, the milkfish industry in Pangasinan depended mainly from fry being taken by concessionaires from the natural breeding ground of ‘sabalo’ in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
The remaining needs for fry by local producers are being supplied thru importation of this commodity from Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and even Hawaii in the United States, Almendares said.
Through a program supported by House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., congressman of the fourth district of Pangasinan, production of milkfish fry in the NIFTDC through the breeding of ‘sabalo’ in captivity, was started two years ago.
It was de Venecia, through his Countrywide Development Program who helped fund the country’s National Research and Breeding Center for Milkfish at the NIFTDC that initially produces 10 million fry.
Dr. Westly Rosario, NIFTDC chief, said that the program envisioned the setting up of satellite bangus hatcheries in various parts of the country where the eggs produced by the national research and breeding center would be channeled to be grown before their dissemination to the farmers.
Rosario is optimistic that in 10 years, not only Pangasinan but the entire Philippines will soon be sufficient in milkfish fry, and the country need not import the commodity from abroad anymore.
Almendares told the provincial board that there are 12,000 hectares of fishpens and 182 hectares for fish pens and cages in the province of Pangasinan that need regular supply of fry.
Statistics in 2004 alone showed that milkfish production from fishponds was pegged at 25,800 metric tons. This was dwarfed by the milkfish production from pens and cages at 222,000 metric tons.
Dagupan City, which earlier self-declared as the ‘bangus capital of the world’, produces 25 percent of the total milkfish production in the province. The average harvest per hectare in fishponds is two tons while the average harvest per hectare in pens and cages is 200 times more. (PNA)
