SEAFDEC backs gov't bid to put up feed mill plants

January–February 2023 Newsletter of the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines

Matters inside

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aqd matters

SEAFDEC backs gov't bid to put up feed mill plants

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SEAFDEC/AQD's expertise in formulating cost-efficient feeds sought

SEAFDEC/AQD welcomes USEC Bayate as PH Council Director

At SEAFDEC/AQD, we take pride in our feed mill workers’ dedication to ensuring high-quality finished products. Photo shows them carefully The giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), locally known as ulang, is a commercially important aquaculture species widely used as an alternative to tiger shrimp or tilapia. Its popularity is growing since it can be farmed in ponds or tanks with minimal inputs, making it a cost-effective species to grow. It is a priority commodity in SEAFDEC/AQD, where researchers are working to mass produce postlarvae that will provide farmers with seeds — a step to boost the massive freshwater prawn industry. Photo by JF Aldon

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EAFDEC/AQD

has pledged its support to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to construct commercial- scale aquaculture feed mills for cost-effective feed in strategic locations

throughout Panay Island, as well as Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippines.

“Development of aquaculture feed mill plants is one of BFAR’s approved projects and is set for implementation this year,” according to BFAR-6

director Remia Aparri.

The project is under the National Fisheries Program.

It was proposed during the tenure of former agriculture secretary William Dar, and two of the five proposed will be implemented as pilot

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projects in 2023, and are set to be in Regions 4-A and 4-B.

BFAR tapped the research center’s technical expertise, particularly on site selection, during a meeting between SEAFDEC/AQD and BFAR on 10 Jan.

2023. Chief Dan Baliao, Dr. Roger Edward Mamauag, the SEAFDEC/AQD Feasibility Study team, Aparri, and BFAR-6 staff were present.

Baliao stated that the research center is willing to assist the government in achieving their goal of putting up feed mills since it will help farmers increase their production by using cost-efficient formulated feeds.

SEAFDEC/AQD welcomes Usec Bayate as PH

Council Director

UNDERSECRETARY Drusila Esther Bayate will start her new role as SEAFDEC Council Director for the Philippines starting this 2023, following her appointment as the new Undersecretary for Fisheries of the Department of Agriculture last 6 Jan. 2023.

Bayate will be part of the Council that reviews and evaluates programs and activities being carried out in the Center and assists in the formulation of solutions to address the needs of the fisheries and aquaculture industry in the Region.

“SEAFDEC, especially the Aquaculture Department, looks forward to working alongside Usec. Bayate again. She has been part of the SEAFDEC Council in the past, and with her knowledge and experience, we are sure that she will do great in her role as Council Director,” said SEAFDEC/

AQD Chief Dan Baliao.

She served as SEAFDEC Alternate Council Director from January 2013 until July 2022.a

— JMD ARANAS

Chief Dan Baliao and Dr. Leobert de la Peña sign the Memorandum of Agreement for feasibility study in the presence of BFAR-6 director Dr. Remia Aparri last February 7. Photo by JF Aldon

Welcome back to the SEAFDEC family, Usec. Bayate! Photo courtesy of BFAR

“Establishing a feed mill plant for cost-efficient feeds will likely invigorate the fisheries sector and help the Philippines ensure food security by producing high-quality feeds at a reasonable price. This is also one way of increasing and sustaining aquaculture production in the area,” he said.

In Panay Island, the project is planned to be located at SEAFDEC/

AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station, with a proposed budget of 30 million pesos.

The research center, for its part, will have a counterpart of 250,000 pesos.

AGREEMENT SEALED The project is a step closer to reality after the SEAFDEC/AQD and BFAR-6 forged an agreement for its feasibility study last 7 Feb.

The parties signed a Memorandum of Agreement stipulating that BFAR-6 will allocate and transfer P250,000 to SEAFDEC/AQD for the research center to conduct and prepare the feasibility study and related documents for the project.

The amount will cover all costs such as professional fees, fieldwork activities, needed tests/analyses, communication, transportation, supplies, materials, and related expenses for the report and final document preparation.

SEAFDEC, for its part, will perform market, technical, financial, socioeconomic, and management feasibility studies to determine whether the project is feasible.

“At least with SEAFDEC, the technical experts are there, especially during bidding and monitoring during construction,” Aparri added, noting that SEAFDEC greatly assisted the agency in preparing feasibility studies, identifying suitable sites, and designing the government’s legislated hatcheries.a

—NG ARMADA

12 Japan-funded research, training activities highlighted in annual progress meeting

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HE progress and achievements of 12 projects, consisting of research and training activities, all funded by the Government of Japan (GOJ), were highlighted during the GOJ-Trust Fund Annual Progress Meeting last 1 Feb. 2023.

The hybrid meeting invited external evaluators, Dr.

Koh-ichiro Mori (Director of the Tuna Culture Division of the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency) and Dr. Sonia Somga (Chief of the National Fisheries Laboratory Division of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources).

SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao expressed his appreciation to the Japanese Trust Fund team, particularly Dr. Tomoko Nakazato, GOJ-TF Manager and Deputy

Secretary General of SEAFDEC, and Dr. Sayaka Ito, Deputy Chief of SEAFDEC/AQD, for the longstanding partnership in aquaculture research.

“The partnership between the two agencies has led to many great things for research and development in the country and the Region. The research we have conducted produced valuable information that could make aquaculture safer and more sustainable in the future,” Baliao added.

The GOJ-TF funded the studies that led to two of SEAFDEC/AQD’s major breakthroughs in recent years: the spawning of round scad (galunggong) and slipper lobster in captivity.a

— JMD ARANAS

MAYOR Rex Jalando-on of La Carlota City in Negros Occidental arrived with his team on 6 Feb. 2023 at SEAFDEC/AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station to learn about aquaculture using biofloc technology.

Since La Carlota is landlocked, the mayor wanted to incorporate a biofloc culture system into his constituents’ aquaculture ventures, thus the visit to the research center.

Biofloc technology allows aquafarmers to conserve water and feed inputs by using microorganisms to convert wastewater into a protein source.

During their visit, Associate Researcher Marwin dela Cruz presented SEAFDEC/AQD’s projects that use the technology.

The mayor and three others paid a courtesy call to Chief Dan Baliao, members of the Executive Committee, researchers, and the Feasibility Study Team. They also toured the FishWorld Museum, the Integrated Milkfish Broodstock Hatchery Complex, and the Multi-species Freshwater Hatchery.a

— NG ARMADA

Biofloc tech piques town chief’s interest

During his Multi-species Marine Freshwater Hatchery tour, Mayor Rex Jalando-on takes a look at freshwater prawn larvae. He is determined to revolutionize food security in La Carlota City by incorporating biofloc technology in aquaculture. Photo by JF Aldon

More tiger shrimp broodstock for 'Oplan Balik Sugpo'

ANOTHER batch of tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) broodstock from Capiz and Negros Occidental were stocked in SEAFDEC/AQD’s new shrimp broodstock rearing facility in Tigbauan, Iloilo.

A total of 676 shrimp were sorted last 25 Jan. 2023 to determine their sex and size, of which 310 were female and 366 were male.

Stocking up of breeders is one of the research center’s initiatives under the “Oplan Balik Sugpo” program to increase its capacity to produce seeds and, eventually, broodstock of the prime commodity.a

SEAFDEC/AQD's expertise in formulating cost-efficient aquaculture feeds sought

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ITH their fish feedmill facility in Aurora province nearing completion, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Central Luzon (BFAR-3) visited SEAFDEC/AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station on 26 Jan. to gain technical knowledge on feed mill operation practices and to seek the institution’s expertise on developing a cost-effective feed formulation.

The group of 12, led by Dir. Wilfredo Cruz, was especially interested in the SEAFDEC/AQD feed formulation in their quest for low-cost and environment-friendly aquafeeds.

During a meeting, Chief Dan Baliao praised BFAR-3’s initiative in developing their feed mill project, stating that it will alleviate the burden on fish farmers caused by rising aquaculture production costs.

The Chief then highlighted Dr. Roger Edward Mamauag’s cost-effective feeds for milkfish and tilapia, which use byproducts from corn and poultry abattoirs and coconut- fermented copra meal. These alternative ingredients partially substitute fish meal, an expensive component of feeds, as a protein source.

“We have tested the formulation and proved that Dr.

Mamauag’s formulation is better than the commercial ones—

cheaper and cost-efficient,” he said.

This prompted the group to request assistance with feed formulation since they wanted to utilize locally sourced

and readily available materials such as “kangkong” (water spinach), “malunggay” (moringa), “ipa” (rice husk), and copra.

“The target is zero importation, all local [materials] will be used,” according to Cruz, adding that their feed mill project was proposed two years ago when the tilapia industry was thriving in the area.

The Director is optimistic that once operating, the facility would give a solution to the challenge encountered by fish farms, notably the high cost of commercial fish feeds, thereby boosting the aquaculture sector.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), BFAR-3, and the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) funded the project.a

— NG ARMADA

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Central Luzon tours SEAFDEC/AQD’s Feed Mill facilities to gain technical knowledge on feed mill operation practices. This is part of the bureau’s efforts to de- velop cost-effective feeds using locally sourced and readily available ingredients. Photos by JF Aldon

Prawn, tilapia harvested from pond biofloc system

SEAFDEC/AQD’s Dumangas Brackishwater Station successfully harvested giant freshwater prawn, locally known as “ulang,” and tilapia on 13 Jan.

2023. The activity is part of a continuing study to optimize prawn and tilapia culture in brackishwater ponds using a biofloc system.

Biofloc technology (BFT) is an approach in aquaculture to support intensive

culture, maintain optimum water quality, recycle the nutrients, and reduce feed costs.

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IN PHOTOS

SEAFDEC/AQD disinfected seawater and aeration lines at its Marine Fish Hatchery last 10 Feb. 2023.

The disinfection entails dissolving chlorine in seawater at the main reservoir, injecting the chlorinated saltwater into the seawater and aeration lines with at least one- hour contact time, draining the chlorinated seawater, cleaning the reservoir, and thoroughly rinsing all the lines with fresh seawater.

Three hundred tons of seawater were chlorinated for the task, which aims to eliminate pathogenic organisms in the seawater and aeration systems.

The activity is part of a biosecurity program to reduce

or eradicate diseases in the hatcheries and nurseries.

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SEAFDEC/AQD welcomes first batch of OJTs

READY. SET. TRAIN. On-the-job trainees from Iloilo Doctor's College and West Visayas State University were recently given a chance to gain first-hand experience in aquaculture research at SEAFDEC/AQD.

Photo shows them posing with Ms. Aimee Lou Ramos, the training coordinator. Photo by NG Armada

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OME 17 students from the West Visayas State University (WVSU) Main Campus and Iloilo Doctors’ College (IDC) began their on-the-job training (OJT) at SEAFDEC/AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station on 16 Jan. 2023.

They are the first batch of OJTs for this year and are all Bachelor of Science in Biology students. Thirteen of the total number are from WVSU, while four are from IDC.

Their first day commenced with an orientation, followed by a tour of the research center’s facilities and laboratories. They also had a courtesy call to the training and information head, Dr. Edgar Amar, who advised them to make the most of their OJT experience and to be the best trainees they could be.

The OJTs were assigned to the research institution's various laboratories and hatcheries.

When asked why they chose SEAFDEC/AQD for their OJT, WVSU's Charry Mae Calzado responded: “SEAFDEC is one of the institutions I look up to because of some reasons. First is the quality training, wherein they tend to render their time and efforts just to teach the trainees to become a better version of themselves, not just in their own field, but the life in general.”

“Additionally, SEAFDEC is one of the greatest and most prestigious institutions that can meet our expectations in terms of training. Lastly, this is the best training ground for me," she added.

SEAFDEC/AQD offers OJT to graduating students in fisheries and related fields to fulfill a school requirement for graduation. The goal is to provide students with practical aquaculture knowledge and skills to supplement their theoretical knowledge by allowing them to assist in research and verification studies.a

— NG ARMADA

aqd matters

is published bimonthly by the Development Communication Section, SEAFDEC Aquaculture

Department, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines Issue editor:

NG Armada

Contributing writer-photographers:

JF Aldon, JMD Aranas, MB dela Cruz, JC Tugo

Editor-in-Chief:

RD Dianala Executive Editor:

JMD Aranas

Publications Review Committee:

Dr. LD de la Peña, Dr. JP Altamirano, Dr. EC Amar, Dr. RE Mamauag, Dr. ND Salayo,

Circulation to friends of AQD:

E Nemiz

For contributions and inquiries, kindly email:

devcom@seafdec.org.ph

Japanese students tour SEAFDEC/AQD

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IX undergraduate students of Kagoshima University in Japan visited SEAFDEC/AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station (TMS) on 27 Feb. to familiarize themselves with the institution’s facilities and laboratories

used in various research projects.

Some sites visited were the Integrated Marine Finfish Broodstock and Hatchery Complex, Laboratory Facilities for Advanced Aquaculture Technologies, and FishWorld Museum.

Prior to the TMS tour, the group visited the Igang Marine Station on the 26th, accompanied by Prof. Munechika Ishizaki.a

— NG ARMADA

NONESCOST staff train on

taxidermy, specimen conservation

FIVE staff from Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology (NONESCOST) in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, engaged in a one-day benchmarking activity last 23 Feb. at SEAFDEC/AQD's FishWorld Museum and learned about taxidermy and museum management.

Taxidermy refers to the practice of preserving the body of an animal through techniques such as mounting or stuffing, typically for the purpose of exhibiting or studying it. FishWorld has a broad experience with taxidermy, having preserved fishes, sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins, and other aquatic animals.a

— NG ARMADA

NONESCOST staff dissect a silver pomfret as part of a specimen conservation demonstration activity. Photos by NG

During the photo session, Kagoshima University students and their professor, Munechika Ishizaki, were joined by Deputy Chief Sayaka Ito and SEAFDEC/AQD Division Heads. Photo by NG Armada

A TEAM of evaluators from the Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB) paid a surveillance visit to conduct a special assessment of SEAFDEC/AQD’s Centralized Analytical Laboratory - Laboratory Facilities for Advanced Aquaculture Technologies on 20–23 2022 Feb. 2023.

PAB conducts surveillance visit at SEAFDEC/AQD lab

The evaluators were composed of Perla Baje of the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (team leader), Gina Catalan of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Metals Industry Research and Development Center, Johanne Guillaran of the DOST- Food and Nutrition Research Institute, and Jeremiah Natividad of the San Miguel Brewery Incorporated.

In 2021, PAB granted ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for the laboratory’s biological and chemical testing. This means the laboratory has the technical competence to produce reliable, accurate, and defensible test results that meet the highest internationally recognized quality standard.a

— NG ARMADA

Evaluators from the Philippine Accreditation Bureau inspect and examine SEAFDEC/AQD’s Centralized Analytical Laboratory-Laboratory Facilities for Advanced Aquaculture Technologies to ensure that the laboratory’s operations and

Memorandum inked to strengthen research collab, dev’t in Region VI

STRENGTHENING RESEARCH THROUGH COLLABORATION. Dr. Leobert de la Peña represented SEAFDEC/AQD at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for establishment of the Western Visayas Laboratory Network last 16 February 2023. Photo by DOST-6

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EAFDEC/AQD

is now one of six institutions that make up the Western Visayas Laboratory Network (WVLabNet) which was recently established to help build the local business and

industry competitiveness.

In a show of support to the network, Dr. Leobert de la Peña represented SEAFDEC/AQD last 16 Feb. at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in one of Iloilo City’s hotels.

The WVLabNet’s is seen to strengthen collaboration

and development efforts in human resource development, facility and resource sharing, research and development, policy formulation, and special project implementation.

As one of Southeast Asia's research institutions in the

fisheries sector, SEAFDEC recognizes the importance of laboratory services in research development, product and process development, quality assurance, and government regulation enforcement.a

— NG ARMADA