The Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources recently announced the Philippines is the first country in Asia to culture tiger shrimps in saltwater.
“Today is a historic day for Bohol because it has proven to the world that tiger shrimps can be cultured in marine waters. No study in any part of the world was done along this line. This is the Philippines’ first, Asia’s first and most likely the world’s first.â€
This was the proud statement of Malcolm Sarmiento, national director of BFAR, in a speech on Wednesday that a first harvest of tiger prawns cultured in saltwater was made in Panggangan, Calape, Bohol.
Sarmiento said that tiger prawns are cultured in brackish water all over the world. Even China, which he said was the world’s largest exporter of tiger prawn exporter, cultures the shrimps in brackish water.
He said that a resident of Bohol, Benjie Aniag, who cultures lapu-lapu in the waters of Dauis, discovered full-grown tiger prawns among his catch.
The discovery prompted the BFAR to immediately conduct research in the bureau’s hatchery in Panggangan, Calape, about the possibility of the tiger prawn being cultured in saltwater.
Sarmiento said this breakthrough will help improve the lives of marginalized fisherfolk, since they would only spend half of the cost when using open pen enclosures instead of ponds to culture tiger prawns.
The development has also given hope to the campaign of Gov. Erico B. Aumentado of Bohol to provide illegal fishermen with livelihood.
Aumentado said he plans to promote the new type of prawn farming in other coastal areas of Bohol.(Philippine News Agency, 2006)
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=3508.0