FISH farmers and stakeholders in the bangus industry convened at the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Research and Development Center (NIFTDC) last  May 12 to participate in a 20-day live-in training on bangus hatchery management and production.

Dr. Westly Rosario, NIFTDC chief, said the training sponsored jointly by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-NIFTDC, aims to see more backyard bangus hatcheries in the region in a bid to cut the country’s dependency on fry imported from Indonesia.

Today, there are only two big bangus hatcheries in Pangasinan, the NIFTDC and the Star Hatchery in Sual town and their combined production is not sufficient to supply the demand of local fishpond and fish cage operators.

Rosario said bangus hatcheries require huge investments but a model adopted by NIFTDC from Indonesia can enable ordinary fish farmers living near the coastline to operate with minimal capital.

Ordinary fish farmers can put up their backyard hatcheries and sell their produce after only 18 days, said Rosario, adding that those who will go into this venture need not put up concrete breeding tanks for the mother sabalo which costs P500,000 each to build.

The 20-day training will teach participants how to build storage tanks made of plywood and tarpaulin materials.

NIFTDC will provide hatcheries with the eggs to be stored in the tanks.

Rosario said hatcheries in Indonesia involve family members of fish farmers by counting the fry to be sold.

“Our challenge to the participants is for them to put up their own backyard bangus hatcheries right after the seminar.

The Philippines imports 800,000 to 1.4 billion fry, mostly from Indonesia, annually. — LVM

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