Fishery officials call on youth to seriously consider ‘promising’ career in aquaculture
AN international research center is urging more youth to engage themselves in the aquaculture business amid the threat posed by the African swine fever (ASF) to meat supplies in the country.
Dan Baliao, chief of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) based in Iloilo, said fish is more efficient to produce than poultry.
“[However] there are not enough skilled personnel to competently build and run fish farms in the country,” he said in a news statement.
“Now, more than ever, is the time for our youth to engage in the efficient production of healthy protein through aquaculture,” said Baliao.
Citing data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Baliao said there are only 26,259 graduates from the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries disciplines from 2018 to 2019, comprising only 3 percent of all Philippine graduates in higher education.
Meanwhile, Baliao said results from the 2019 Fisheries Technologist board exams released by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) also showed that only 731 fisheries technologists passed and obtained their certification out of 2,101 takers across the whole country.
As highly skilled work force is critical in the coming years, he said. SEAFDEC/AQD is helping the Department of Agriculture-bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) to build legislated multispecies hatcheries in at least 15 sites around the country.
“We should invest not only in infrastructure and technologies, but also in building up the work force that will run these critical government hatcheries and the grow-out farms that will receive the seeds,” he added.
Lea Cadapan, Aquaculturist II and Legislated Hatchery Project Coordinator of DA-BFAR, also cited the need for more competent aquaculturists.
“Aquaculturists should be kept abreast of the recent developments in the aquaculture industry to be more confident, more efficient, and boost their passion for serving the Filipino fish farmers in contributing to the attainment of the country’s goal of fish sufficiency towards food security,” she said.
New generation
TO jump-start a new generation of aquaculturists, Baliao said his group piloted the intensive selection of fisheries graduates, who were then given hands-on training on seed production, fish health management, and grow-out operations at SEAFDEC/ AQD stations in Iloilo, Guimaras and Rizal.
Upon completion of the training program, some trainees were deployed to upstart the multispecies hatchery operations of the DA-BFAR hatchery in Sagnay, Camarines Sur, which soon took off and produced 467,000 milkfish fry on its first run.
Baliao also revealed that they are planning to train more fisheries graduates from the Bicol region and Mindanao, where most legislated hatcheries will be built, as soon as measures are in place to navigate Covid-19 restrictions.
He said youth graduates of the training program of SEAFDEC/AQD assist in the stocking of milkfish breeders at the newly constructed broodstock facilities of the research center in Tigbauan, Iloilo.