Fish farming, mollusk culture to be integrated in RP soon
THE Philippines will soon integrate fish farming with the culture of mollusks to increase the country’s export.
The principal market target will be Europe, principally Spain.
This was disclosed by Dr. Westly Rosario, interim director of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. He is also the concurrent chief of the Dagupan-based National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center located in Bonuan Binloc.
He said the program involves the production of tilapia or bangus (milkfish) in ponds, along with mollusks such as clams, oysters, mussels, abalone and others which command good price and are much in demand abroad.
The NFRDI will conduct tests for the initial integration of fish farming with mollusk culture which, he said, is now being done ahead by various countries.
Saying that the country should be market -driven not production-driven, Rosario hailed the potentials of mollusks as a dollar-earner for the country.
If the country wants to export its products abroad and earn dollars for the effort, it must reorient its priorities and must be market-driven, Rosario said.
He said that the Philippines should not insist on exporting its fish products to countries that have little demand for these commodities.
Rosario said that from where he came from two months ago, there were plenty of demands for mollusks, such as mussels and abalone.
Thailand, he said, has integrated fish farming with mollusk culture 20 years ago and is now the world’s leading mollusk exporter in the world.
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