DA-BFAR to transform E.Visayas town into top aquamarine producer

By Jerome Carlo R. Paunan

Saturday 9th of June 2012

QUEZON CITY, June 9 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) are embarking to make the pristine coastal town of Guiuan (approximately 649 kilometers southeast of Manila) into a top aquamarine producer.

This, after BFAR, an attached agency of the DA, earlier established the Guiuan Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center (BFAR-GMFRDC), a 1.25-hectare multi-species hatchery for blue crabs, abalones, sea cucumbers, giant clams, and lapu-lapu, and soon for lobsters and mub crabs.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in a statement posted on the DA website said the Guiuan Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center mainly aims to produce quality seedstocks of aquamarine species that will be ‘seeded’ or dispersed back to the wild or coastal waters and revive depleting stocks in Eastern Visayas.

Initially, the DA-BFAR plans to make the center a source of quality blue crabs for dispersal at municipal waters, and for interested fisherfolk groups and entrepreneurs who wish to go into commercial crab production and crab meat processing.

Guiuan center chief Nonita Cabacaba said they started their blue crab hatchery operations in 2009, and since May 2010, they have cultured and dispersed more than 10,000 blue crablets back to the wild or awarded to municipal fishermen.

She said they regularly buy 'berried' or blue crab spawners from fishermen at a premium price of P170 per kilo. She said such strategy is cheaper and more convenient than raising female crabs, as culturing them until they spawn is more expensive in terms of food and shelter.

The berried crabs from the wild are 'nursed' at the facility, which serves as a 'lying-in' or maternity clinic, which they lay their eggs in just a couple of days, said Cabacaba. A week after, the mother crabs are returned back to the wild. The eggs then hatch and grow into crablets in a span of 35 days.

Each spawner lays from 600,000 to 1.2 million eggs – of which only about three to five percent survive and develop into crablets, ranging from 30,000 to 50,000, Cabacaba said.

At present, GMFRDC focuses on seeding back or stocking crablets at fish sanctuaries like Monbon Reef and Manapag Reef, in Eastern Samar.

Further, Cabacaba said they can also raise and produce ‘soft-shelled’ crabs, a delicacy in Chinese cuisine which sells more than ordinary crabs.

In all, Alcala commended Cabacaba and her staff for their continuing efforts, and assured them the DA-BFAR will invest more in GMFRDC to serve as a major 'lying-in' center or hatchery, not only for blue crabs and also for lobsters and mud crabs (alimango).

For her part, Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan said she will encourage investors to set up a crab meat processing facility, as she aims to transform Guiuan into a major crab producer in two to three years' time.

At a fisherfolk’s forum after touring the center’s facilities, Alcala dialogued with fisherfolk and committed to provide them technical and marketing assistance to increase their catch and income. He assured them that the Center will continuously produce crablets, which will be dispersed in the wild or municipal waters for their benefit. He said the DA-BFAR will install payaos for tuna fishermen in Guiuan.

In appreciation for their attendance, Alcala raffled off prizes from DA-BFAR to lucky fishermen, who won five units of 7-horsepower motor boat engines, 10 anglo-nubian bucks, and one boat complete with engine. (DA/RJB/JCP-PIA NCR)