SEAFDEC PROGRAMS OF ACTIVITIES IN 2019
1. Strategy I: Securing the sustainability of fisheries to contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and livelihood of people in the region
2.2 Establish and promote responsible management of natural resources Environment-friendly, Sustainable Utilization and Management of Fisheries and
Aquaculture Resources
While aquaculture is rapidly growing in the region, it has also brought negative impacts such as degradation of culture sites, destruction of sensitive organisms, decrease in biodiversity, spread of diseases, and even social conflicts. Environmental and social issues continue to arise from aquaculture practices which may threaten food security and poverty alleviation.
With support from the JTF, AQD has been exerting efforts to establish and promote technologies that are more environment-friendly. One such effort is the development of nature-conscious culture technologies, such as the use agricultural wastes and by-products (ABPs) as feed ingredients to produce tilapia with improved traits. The previous tilapia feed formulation was therefore refined to include other low-cost feed ingredients (e.g.
poultry by-product meal). Indoor feeding trials of tilapia fingerlings were conducted to test six diet formulations, containing fermented (bacteria- and Trichoderma-treated) and non- fermented okara meal, which were compared to a fishmeal-based (FM) diet. The three best performing diets were selected based on improved growth performance of tilapia fingerlings for further testing in tank- and lake-based cage conditions.
Participants in the training on health management of freshwater fish in Myanmar necessary to share knowledge and transfer technologies to the ASEAN Member States (AMSs), especially within their respective local government units, aquaculture farmers, traders, and other stakeholders. The capability of fish health personnel from the AMSs was therefore boosted through an on-site training on health management of freshwater fish.
Organized by AQD in Myanmar on 16-21 December 2019, the training had 15 participants who were trained on major bacterial and parasitic diseases. Lectures focusing on these topics enabled the fish health personnel to stay abreast of the latest issues on persistent and emerging transboundary diseases. The training course was formatted in such as way that theoretical knowledge is imparted and skills enhanced through hands-on exercises. At the end of the training, the participants were capacitated with the necessary knowledge and skills for the accurate diagnosis of bacterial and parasitic diseases.
Okara meal
Moreover, the promotion of responsible aquaculture through aquasilviculture was also pursued, where aquasilviculture is the integration of aquaculture with mangroves providing bioavailable food and nutrients for organisms in all tiers of the food web as well as improving the water quality in ponds. Comparing the culture water quality and shrimp performance in aquasilviculture ponds (mixed and separate) and ponds with mangroves, the results showed higher shrimp survival in separate (47%) and mixed (39%) aquasilviculture ponds, compared to a non-aquasilviculture pond (0%). As for WSSV load, this was higher in the non-aquasilviculture pond (1011 copies/g) compared with that of the aquasilviculture ponds (106 copies/g). Water quality was also better in aquasilviculture ponds since they had lower temperature, salinity, and ammonia levels.
The promotion of community-based production and resource enhancement was carried out to protect aquatic resources in the wild, secure the livelihoods of the communities in order that fishers would not engage in illegal fishing activities, and reduce social conflicts.
The Community-Based Resource Enhancement (CBRE) Project of AQD in Molocaboc Island, Sagay in central Philippines aspires to maintain the marine ecosystem in the community through community-based production of high value but threatened aquatic resources through stock enhancement. Using hatchery-reared abalone and sandfish juveniles produced in aquaculture facilities, strategies had been developed comprising a series and combination of social activities and exploratory release of juveniles. Social preparation strategies such as establishing collaboration among fisherfolk, local government and researchers were undertaken including the organization of the fisherfolk into what is now known as the Molocaboc Sea Ranchers Association (MOSRA) which has been officially registered with the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment. MOSRA spearheaded the bottom-up promulgation of the first-ever abalone catch size regulation at >6 cm, and the eventual release of 11 batches of hatchery-reared abalone from 2011 to 2015 in a coralline area 2 km from a residential shoreline. Participatory monthly monitoring of catch showed that catch of abalone continued to increase. Since 2015, after the last batch of abalone seeding, the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of abalone continued to increase at an average of >150 individuals per hour dive of three divers. Meanwhile, releases of sandfish started much later in 2015 but there were already observable increases in growth and density, although its recovery was challenged by societal problems.
The major impacts of the CBRE Project include the rebuilding of resources in overfished areas through releases of hatchery-reared juveniles, while the community-based and tri-party collaboration are enhanced to implement and manage the resource-enhanced sites. The solar-powered hatchery and nursery units for abalone and sandfish provide the assurance of the sustainability of the CBRE Project because the juveniles can now be produced locally and on small-scale basis. Regulations in abalone and sandfish harvesting had been established by the community, allowing only the harvest of abalone with
>6 cm shell length and sandfish at 320 g live weight. Fishers in the area were not only provided income-generating livelihoods through harvesting but have been capacitated in aquaculture operations to enable them to become better stewards of the fisheries and the environment.
Capacity enhancement lectures empower the local fishers in Molocaboc Island, Philippines Resource enhancement of seahorses was also carried out in Molocaboc Island, with trials on nursery rearing using natural food available in the local area as well as training of fishers in the community for seahorse culture. From those trials, the average number of seahorses increased at 33 per sampling from 30 per sampling in previous years. Community-based backyard hatchery of seahorse was also built in the community using solar-powered aerators and utilizing the available natural food such as copepods and mysid shrimps collected from the pilot site to feed the
newborn and juvenile seahorses up to 4 months. Nursery rearing of juvenile seahorses was undertaken in submerged pens until the animals reached 7 cm stretched height.
Information, education, and communication campaign including lectures on seahorse biology and resource management were also conducted annually to increase the knowledge and appreciation of stakeholders on the importance of seahorses in the wild. Transfer of the latest technologies and information on aquaculture to the AMSs was undertaken through the training courses on Marine Fish Hatchery and Rural Aquaculture. The training on marine fish hatchery at AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station, is a 37-day training that highlights on the breeding, hatchery seed production, nutrition and health management of grouper, sea bass, and snapper. The 2019 training was attended by eight participants of whom four were funded by the Government of Japan. On the 10-day rural aquaculture training sited at AQD’s Binangonan Freshwater Station, focus was given on the promotion of community- based freshwater aquaculture for remote rural areas of Southeast Asia. This year’s training had four participants all of whom were funded by the Government of Japan.
Information sharing within the scientific community
Sharing of knowledge within the scientific community was also pursued through the International Workshop on Promotion of Sustainable Aquaculture, Aquatic Animal Health and Resource Enhancement in Southeast Asia (SARSEA) 2019 organized in Iloilo City, Philippines on 25-27 June 2019. The Workshop aimed to update the participants, especially the concerned authorities, on the issues related to sustainable aquaculture, aquatic animal health, and resource enhancement; and to put forward recommendations to address the issues at hand. The Workshop enhanced the awareness of participants and strengthened their commitment to support research and development towards the
Seahorse juveniles produced in a backyard
hatchery
2.3 Improvement of broodstock and seed production technologies