DAGUPAN CITY, Nov. 4 (PIA) - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), through its research arm, has introduced a new generation of tilapia species as its answer to the call for increased food production.
Dr. Lilian Garcia, director of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC), said the new project on Saline Tilapia Molobicus is in response to the Department of Agriculture’s mission on ‘Masaganang Ani, Mataas na Kita' for village level farmers.
“With this new project na ibababa natin sa mga hatchery cooperator, mapapabilis at mapapadami natin ang produkyon ng pagkain at malaki ang maitutulong sa food security,” Garcia said during the launching of the project at the NIFTDC compound in Dagupan City.
NIFTDC Tilapia Molobicus unit head Nerafe Muyalde said the pilot areas in Pangasinan for the initial stage are the towns of Binmaley, Lingayen, Bani, Bolinao, and Sual.
“Individual fish-farmers from each place was chosen as cooperators of Molobicus hatchery,” Muyalde said.
The five cooperators were selected based on the criteria set by BFAR-NIFTDC, which includes their facilities and their capabilities; background in tilapia or fish farming in general; and most importantly, their source of water is brackish or saline water, she explained.
Dr. Westly Rosario, Molobicus Philippines project head and former BFAR-NIFTDC chief, said the Saline Tilapia Molobicus is a cross breeding of (O. niloticus x O. mossambicus).
“The molobicus is advantageous as it thrives on brackish water. While freshwater tilapia dies at salinity levels of 10-15 ppt (parts per thousand), the Molobicus has high salinity tolerance and can grow at 35 ppt,” Rosario said.
He said the brackish water ponds nationwide cover around 240,000 hectares but due to climate change, saltwater intrusion in fishponds and farmlands had been observed.
Meanwhile, BFAR OIC-Regional Director Segundina Gaerlan said the project is a collaborative program where NIFTC-Dagupan center conducted the research while the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) provided the funding and the BFAR Region 1 promotes the propagation of Molobicus Tilapia in fishponds with brackish water or high salinity water.
“The cooperators are not required to give back anything to the government for the assistance or opportunity given to them. The goal is to effectively transfer to farmer cooperators hatchery protocols on saline tilapia Molobicus using a hapa-based method for sustainable and quality seed supply and production,” Gaerlan said. (JCR/JPD/VHS, PIA Pangasinan)
Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)
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