CAN AQUACULTURE HELP SOLVE OUR DWINDLING FISH SUPPLY?

TEXT BY HENRYLITO D. TACIO

PHOTOS BY RHOY T. COBILLA

While fish is not an important source of calories in the human diet, it does have an important role in the food supply of many communities, especially in developing countries like the Philippines.

“Fish protein is generally recognized as a valuable ingredient in a balanced diet,” said Dr. Veravat Hongskul, former regional fishery officer of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. “It is of high biological value and contains essential amino acids not normally found in staple food.

“The oil from the fish,” he continued, “also contains essential fatty acids, which are necessary for the proper development of the brain and the body. Where staple foods are available, a small quantity of fish can contribute significantly to increasing consumption by improving the overall palatability of the food and add to its nutritive value.”

During his time, Jules Verne suggested that when the world reached the limits of food production on land, man could turn to the oceans. Unfortunately, many countries have been doing just that over the past several decades.

“Between 1950 and 1989, the fish catch expanded more than four-fold, climbing from 22 million tons to 100 million tons,”

Lester R. Brown reported in his feature, “Facing Food Scarcity.” “During the six years since then, the catch has leveled off. Contrary to the prognosis of Jules Verne, we reached the limits of the oceans first.”

In the Philippines, fish provides more than half of the protein requirement of almost all people. But in recent years, the average annual consumption has declined from 37 kilos to just 30 kilos. “Unless we look for other sources of protein, the food intake of Filipinos will be greatly affected,” said an official of Bureau of Fisher- ies and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The Philippines is among the largest fish producers in the world, the World Bank report states. The commercial, municipal, and aquaculture fisheries account for 36, 30, and 24 percent of the total fisheries yield, respectively. Its annual total fisheries yield is estimated to be worth around US$70 to UD$110 billion (equivalent to about 2-4 percent of the country’s gross domestic production over the years).

Dwindling fish supply

Unless something is done soon, fish production may soon collapse. Dr. Salome Bulayog, an associate professor of the department of economics at the Visayas State University, said the aquatic marine resources of Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte have been deteriorating in recent years.

Home to a variety of fishes, Sogod Bay is a major fishing ground for the 11 municipalities that surround it. Mangko or frigate tuna (scientific name: Euthynnus affinis) is its major fishery resource. Seasonal influx of this shallow-water tuna species has provided food and livelihood to the people of Sogod and nearby municipalities.

“Frigate tuna used to abound in Sogod Bay and was a major source of income in the 70’s until the 90’s,” said Dr. Bulayog, who headed the study. “But today, fishermen could hardly catch fish.”

“Likewise, reef species population is also dwindling,” added the study, which was conducted in 1994 yet. “Fishermen have to spend longer to catch a kilogram of fish; some even have to be farther from the shore.”

And so it came to pass that the wealth of oceans, once considered boundless, has proven finite. Touted as “the poor man’s protein,” fish is now a resource coveted -- and fought over by countries.

“We are running out of fish and running out of time. For a country known for marine biodiversity, there are very few fish left to catch,” Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, was quoted as saying.

“Like the other vital resources such as forests, Philippine fisheries are about to collapse,” deplored Jethro P. Adang, the director of Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC), a non-government organization based in Davao del Sur.

Fish farming Fish are the “last wild meal” in the human diet. If the oceans are running low on many of humanity’s favorite fish, the solution would seem obvious: raise more seafood down on the fish farm, expanding the maritime version of agriculture known as aquaculture. After all, aquaculture has been a source of human protein for nearly 4,000 years, especially in Asia.

In recent years, aquaculture has become big business. Supermarkets in affluent countries are awash in scallops farmer-raised in China, mussels nurtured in New Brunswick and penreared cod from Newfoundland. One-quarter of the world’s shrimps are raised in ponds in 50 countries, with Thailand and Ecuador leading the harvest.

Fish farming is more advantageous than raising livestock. “For every kiloFAQUACULTURE, P10

KEEP... FROM 2 serious disease but can be contagious.

Symptoms of HFMD usually include fever, mouth sores, and skin rash. The rash is commonly found on the hands and feet.

The disease is common in infants and children younger than 5 years old.

“Virus ni siya nga maghatag ug luas ug aside sa luas naa’y rashes na kasagaran mugawas sa tiil ug sa kamot ug sa iyahang private areas.

Dili ni siya HFMD nga gikan sa hayop, human HFMD ni sya nga virus. Karaan na kaayo ni nga sakit. Magtakod takod gyud ni siya. Dinha sa iyahang laway apil ang blisters ang takod ana. Kung maghatsing makatakod pud kay mulupad man ang droplets spray. Murag chicken pox ang pattern pero maayo ra pud after a week,” he explained.

He also said that the reason for the increase in cases is probably because it was not seen due to the pandemic wherein most of the children were at home.

“Ang isyu ingon ani, in my whole years as a pediatrician karon ra ko nakakita ug HFMD after two to three years, ngano man? Nagtago tag two to three years, wala ta nag face-to- face so daghan bata ang wala nagka HFMD in two to three years pero virgin kaayo ang ilahang immune system because there was no expo-

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and peso values in their increases, many of them seem justified.)

“‘Yung iba na pwede naman but too high, we negotiated with the manufacturers kung pwede mababa muna or we can divide in tranches ‘yung kanilang movement,” added Castelo.

(Some increases are too high. So, we negotiated with the manufacturers if we can reduce it or divide it in tranches.)

The DTI last updated the SRP bulletin in August 2022.

Castelo also said DTI

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aspects of the project, ensuring the successful digitalization and integration with the Davao City citizens’ Service Portal; provide periodic updates to the city mayor on the progress of the project; develop policies and guidelines to guide the development of the project; and perform any additional duties as deemed necessary by a competent authority.

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sure kay naa ra sila sa balay. So karon nakita naman pero kani gyud ang expectation muputok gyud ning sakita kay daghan pa man wala naka try ani,” Mata said.

He said that ideally, children who have HFMD should be absent to prevent transmission in schools, but because some parents are afraid that their children’s absence from class may affect their academic performance, others just let their children attend school even though they were sick with HFMD.

Mata recommended that schools should implement a system that would assure parents that their children will still cope with their lessons in case they’re having HFMD.

“Hangyo nako sa mga schools nga mag announce sila ug system on how a child can cope with sa ilahang klase. Kay mag sinikreto ang uban unya nag eskwela gihapon kay dili gusto ma behind sa lesson mao nang nagtakdanay tanan kay dili mag absent. Doorknob lang daan kintahay naa koy hand, foot and mouth, ang akong laway naay virus, syempre maggunit gunit ko sa akong baba so naa nay laway sa akong kamot, manggunit ko ug doorknob, so ang doorknob naa nay virus ug tanan mugunit anang doorknob, gunitan nila ilang baba, puwede na sila matakdan,” he said.

Secretary Alfredo Pascual will make the announcement of the updated bulletin once it is finalized, adding market prices will not move without its publication.

“As of now, consumers can [be] rest assured ‘di po gumagalaw ang presyo ng lahat ng mga products ng nasa SRP bulletin ng DTI. Until we make a new publication after the August 2022 publication tsaka lang pwede mag increase ng prices ang retailers natin sa merkado,” she added.

A Secretariat, composed of the City Information and Technology Center and the City Treasurer’s Office, shall support the TWG and handle all administrative and secretarial duties.

The City Government of Davao shall fund the operational expenses of the TWG, following the standard accounting and auditing procedures. CIO

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ineffectual and inoperative, which is contrary to the CREATE Law which recognizes these zones as separate customs territories, He said the panel will file a resolution expressing the legislative intent of the CREATE law, as well as a bill clarifying ambiguities in both the CREATE law and the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law for indirect exporters and local suppliers.

He said the veto of the TRAIN law’s portions on VAT perks for some local suppliers and enterprises does not amend the law, or supersede the more recent CREATE law.

“The President’s veto cannot amend the law. And in this case, the law did not make a distinction about who is VAT zero-rated and who is not. Neither should the implementing rules, or the implementor,” he said.

opment in Davao del Norte.

HB 6740 is a necessary piece of legislation that must be passed into law. For far too long, the residents of Davao del Norte have suffered from the perennial problem of unstable power supply and exorbitant power rates. This has hindered the growth and development

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encouraging people, especially informal settlers to return to their home provinces and assist them in this transition with support

AQUACULTURE...

of our province, and it is time for this to change,” it said.

In July last year, President Ferdinand Marcos vetoed House Bill 10554, an Act Expanding the Franchise Area of Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. (DLPC), which would effectively end the franchise of current holder, Nordeco.

FROM 9 GUV... FROM 3 gram of dry feed, we get one kilogram of fish meat,” said Dr. Uwe Lohmeyer of the Deutsche Gesselschaft fur Technische Zusammernarbeit (GTZ), a German Technical Cooperation. “This is a far more favorable rate than in the case of say, pigs: to produce the same quantity of pork, a farmer – given the same quality of inputs – has to provide three kilograms of feed.” and incentives on transportation, family, livelihood, housing, subsistence, and education, among others.

By Maya M. Padillo

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He said they are currently coping with the education of children in the makeshift area closed to the municipal hall.

“We encounter problems like looting of computers and this is a problem aired by public school teachers,” Fernandez said.

He said he has to divide the Special Education Fund for two education divisions to jump-start the repairs.

“The fund was used for the construction of roof and flooring, while our trucks deliver aggregates for the construction of the children’s temporary learning center,” Fernandez said. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

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seen to hike interest rates by at least 25 basis points, Neri said. Meanwhile, ING Bank Manila’s Senior Economist Nicholas Mapa said even a 50 bps hike is also now on the table for the central bank.

Inflation for 2023 is seen to average 4.5 percent before easing back to within target by 2024, according to government estimates.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the government has identified measures to keep food price movements consistent with its inflation and food security objectives.

“A robust and resilient agriculture is vital to ensuring that we have enough supply of food and to keeping food prices stable, especially as we continue to face global headwinds and are exposed to natural hazards. Importantly, it serves as foundation for a strong economy, as agricultural products move up the value chain,” Balisacan said.

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pensation, as an independent contractor to do work according to one’s own methods and without being subjected to the control of the hiring party, except only as to the results of the work.”

The press release explains that the measure also mandates that a written contract be executed by any hiring party with the freelance worker that contains the extent of the services retained or obtained and important details such as the amount of compensation and the schedule of payment.

Likewise, the measure penalized unlawful practices such as the engagement of a freelance worker without a contract or payment of compensation later than 15 days after the date stipulated by both parties with a fine of not less than P50,000 but not more than P500,000.

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Meanwhile, Castelo said the agency will soon release the new SRP for basic goods.

“We have seen justifications from the manufacturers why they have to increase at so much,” she

Though a novelty in much of the world, aquaculture has been practiced through the ages. Oyster culture, for instance, thrived in ancient Rome and Gaul. But some records showed that aquaculture originated in China. According to historical accounts, net making and fishing methods were already developed during the reign of Fu Hi in 1953 B.C.

Artificial hatching of fish was already known in China about 2000 B.C. It was before 745 B.C. when Fan Lei or To Chu Kung wrote his classic on the culture of the common crap. Emperors Yao and Sun in 2357-2205 B.C. and the kings of the Chan Dynasty in 1134-247 B.C. encouraged the people to fully develop China’s fishery resources.

The Roman during the first century A.D. considered fish among the most highly prized delicacies. They built fishponds and stocked them with fish. Stocking of lakes and other freshwater units was also practiced.

In Japan, fish farming before the Second World War was so widespread that fish breeding was undertaken by 162,000 fish hatcheries. The most important species raised in freshwater ponds were carp, eel, goldfish and trout. In saltwater, the following were raised: seaweeds, oysters and clams.

It was the Malay emigrants who must have introduced the first fishponds of the Philippines long before the Chinese traders came to the country. “Our fishpond practices in most respects are similar to those of the Indonesians rather than those of Chinese,” said a Filipino marine expert.

Highly productive and sustainable

If the fish-farming industry succeeds in transforming itself so as to become highly productive and sustainable, what will it look like? Here’s what Anne Platt McGinn, a Worldwatch Institute researcher, suggests: societies in the future may not be hamburger, but the fishburger.

· There will be a shift in what kinds of fish people like. In recent years, growing numbers of people have shifted from meat-eating to vegetarian diets. For some of the same reasons, in future years, many more could shift from eating carnivorous fish to eating varieties that are lower on the food chain.

· More fish will be produced locally, and the fish served in restaurants will be more likely to be local – and therefore more likely to be fresh.

· There will be a great variety of fish-farming methods used – some based on outdoor ponds, some based on fenced-off areas of rivers or bays, and some in buildings. But virtually all would integrate fish production with other industrial or ecological activities: growing hydroponic vegetables, recycling urban waste, purifying fresh water, keeping rivers or wetlands healthy.

· Consumers of fish will be more likely to believe that how the fish are raised is an important ecological and ethical issue. It is consumer awareness, more than government regulation.

If it goes well, the farmed fish of the future will be both a thriving local industry in every area of the world and a major opportunity for business investment. Because of its nutritional benefits, fish farming will move from a boom-town industry to a more stable and less exploitative sector of the mainstream economy.

Ecological impact said. Castelo said the current SRP of basic commodities should still be based on the August 2022 list, and there should be no movement on the SRP until the new bulletin will be issued. (PNA)

But like most technologies, aquaculture has its shares of liabilities. “The inevitable expansion of fish farming in the developing countries could cause increased pollution, greater damage to already vulnerable wild fisheries, and competition for water and land use,” the World Fish Center pointed out.

“This poses a potential threat to the environment as well as the livelihoods and food security of poor people in developing countries,” it added.

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DOES THIS SETTLE THE ‘GOAT’ DEBATE?

For those unfamiliar with the acronym, ‘GOAT’ is shorthand for Greatest Of All Time.

James may very well be the GOAT, based on his longevity, his accomplishments, how no one in NBA history has been so hard to stop for 20 years and counting. Abdul-Jabbar should be in the conversa- tion as well; his sky hook — a one-handed shot released high over his head, impossible for any defender to stop without the use of a stepladder — is one of the most dominant weapons basketball has ever seen.

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls on his way to becoming a global icon and might have been

· Fish will be more popular than ever. In the past half-century, fish consumption has boomed, but as the industry takes better advantage of its inherent resources efficiencies, it will be boom even more. The most ubiquitous food of urbanized the greatest competitor in the sport’s history. Golden State’s Stephen Curry is the most prolific 3-point shooter the game has ever seen and still going strong. The Lakers’ Magic Johnson and Boston’s Larry Bird had a rivalry that brought them both multiple championships and might have saved the NBA in the 1980’s. San Antonio’s Tim Duncan spent nearly two decades

But there is a possible solution. As Dr. Mark W. Rosegrant, of the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute pointed out: “It is possible to avoid trade-offs to the environment and the poor, while meeting growing global demand for fish. Environmental impacts of aquaculture can be minimized through environmentally friendly technologies and by increasing the efficiency with which fish meal and fish oil are used to feed farmed fish.” in the league and was maybe the most fundamentally solid player ever.

Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game and once averaged 50 for an entire season. Kobe Bryant had an 81-point game, finished with five championships and spent years being simply unstoppable. And Bill Russell won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics.