NFRDI pushes fish cage culture
A GROUP of fishers in Batangas has adopted cage culture technology developed by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) to successfully grow maliputo (giant trevally).
NFRDI is an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The NFRDI, through its Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (FFRDC), serves as a central breeding facility for freshwater ornamental fish and a prime research center for maliputo, a delectable and most popular Indigenous migratory fish and other nontraditional species. Maliputo thrives in Taal Lake.
“As a prime research center, the NFRDI-Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center in Butong, Taal, Batangas, pioneered the captive breeding [of] maliputo and has since then been conducting training activities to transfer the technology to interested fish farmers,” it said.
From about 7,500 maliputo fingerlings distributed a year ago to 15 fishers from the Samahan ng Magmamaliputo ng Lemery, the fishers under the Samahan ng Magmamaliputo ng Lemery who used the cage culture developed by the NFRDI, partially harvested more than 900 kilos of the Indigenous fish in March. They were provided with around 7,500 maliputo fingerlings a year ago.
The maliputo harvest recorded an 83-percent survival rate and had an average body weight of 357 grams, according to the data gathered by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Batangas during a harvest conducted in March.
In August and September 2023, the NFRDI said a total harvest of 1.33 metric tons of maliputo was made through an initiative that also involved the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the local government of Talisay and project cooperators. BFAR is an agency under the DA.
The harvested maliputo had an average body weight of 1.1 kilogram, and it achieved a survival rate of 52 percent during a 14-month culture period. The harvest was sold for P500 per kilo.
Rodrigo Bautista Jr., Batangas provincial agriculturist, assured assistance for the fishing sector of Batangas as part of the Health, Education, Livelihood and Protection of Life, Environment and Properties Program of the provincial government.
“We, in our office, are pleased with the initial success of this project. You can expect that we will further strengthen the agriculture sector in the province of Batangas, especially the fisheries sector. Assistance for our fisherfolk will not stop here and will further continue for the progress of each individual through collaborative efforts with other agencies,” he said.
Brynne Mamauag, a fisherfolk and one of the program beneficiaries, was grateful for the assistance provided to them.
“We, in our organization, are grateful for the projects you have provided us, which have been helpful for us. Rest assured, we will continue to sustain and expand this project,” he said.
For its part, the NFRDI said it will continue supporting the maliputo cage culture and expanding the application of the technology to more areas.
“We at the NFRDI are delighted because the technology on the ‘grow out culture’ of maliputo has advanced further. We initiated the study on maliputo breeding, and our goal is to further increase its population to supply cages and ponds. Since this can provide a good livelihood for our fisherfolk, NFRDI is here to serve as a venue for training and other livelihood projects,” Maria Theresa Mutia of the NFRDI said.