Farming Malaga, a good alternative to bangus culture

By Roberto Garcia

MALAGA, a species of rabbitfish caught in the wild or cultured in ponds or pens, is an excellent food fish especially savored as grilled or as “sinigang”. This fish commands a relatively high market price and thus favorable for culture. However, farming this fish requires certain conditions different from bangus culture to be successful.

In the local setting, malaga actually refers to two species of rabbitfish: Siganus guttatus which is described as having tiny dots on its body and an orangish blot near the tail, and Siganus vermiculatus which has striated or vermiculated lines along the body.

Fish farmers prefer the latter since it is apparently faster growing and favored by consumers. One of the constraints for commercial farming of malaga here is the inconsistent supply and insufficient amount of the fry or fingerlings which still come from the wild. But in other parts of the country there is already a technique for producing the S. guttatus fry in hatcheries.

Farming malaga has been a traditional practice in coastal areas of Pangasinan. Growing the fish in fixed pens or floating cages is the more favorable method compared to fishponds. However, the ban on fishpens in some areas leaves the ponds as the only option.

The depth of the water in the pond should be at least one meter and the water should be drawn directly from the river. Prior to stocking the fish, the pond should be planted with the green seaweed known as lumut just like in milkfish culture or with the red seaweed gracilaria which proliferates in some areas. In the event the seaweed is depleted before harvest time, commercial feeds designed for rabbitfish are available. The fish is grown for 4-6 months at a stocking rate of 1500-2000 fingerlings per hectare.

In reality, culturing rabbitfish is a better option than milkfish because of the stable market price and the big demand. Moreover, the low input cost in terms of feeding is a big advantage over other fish culture. This project could be a suitable livelihood activity for coastal communities where fisherfolk can catch fingerlings and grow them in fish pen or cages with seaweed.

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