Improved Cost Effectiveness and Sustainability of Aquaculture in the Philippines and Indonesia

Overall Goal:Improve incomes and livelihoods of small scale farmers and fishers in the Philippines and Indonesia

Aims of research and outreach:Enhance efficiency, reduce costs and environmental footprint of tilapia and milkfish culture; Train in more sustainable technologies (polyculture) for shrimp productionDetermine opportunities and constraints to development of a tilapia fillet export market in the PhilippinesEstablish extension podcasts for tilapia farmers

PIs and PartnersPhilippines: Central Luzon State University - Remedios Bolivar, Wilfred Jamandre, Emmanuel Vera Cruz; Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center or SEAFDEC - Evelyn deJesus-Ayson, Anicia Hurtado, Nelson Golez; GIFT Foundation International - Hernando Bolivar; Philippine Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources - Nelson Lopez

Indonesia: Ujung Batee Aquaculture Center/Ladong Fisheries College - Hasanuddin

United States: North Carolina State University - Russell Borski, Peter Ferket, Charles Stark, Upton Hatch; University of Arizona - Kevin Fitzsimmons; NOAA - Chris Brown

Investigation 1Broodstock seed quality and fingerling production systems rearing for GIFT strain of Nile tilapia in the Philippines

Objective1. Determine optimal broodstock age of genetically improved tilapia (GIFT) strains on seed production and fingerling growout performance

2. Assess different hatchery systems on size distribution, growth and survival of fry and on fingerling growout performance of tilapia seed

Investigation 2Feeding Reduction Strategies and Alternative Feeds to Reduce Production Costs of Tilapia Culture

ObjectiveAssess feed reduction alone, and feed reduction combined with feeding delay strategies on growth performance of Nile tilapia

3. Reduce feed cost and wastage by utilizing least cost formulation and feed manufacturing technology that limit fishmeal and maximize usage of local Philippine ingredients

4. Field-test the efficacy of using insulin-like growth factor-I as a biomarker of growth in pond-cultured tilapia

Investigation 3Internet-based Extension Podcasts for Tilapia Farmers in the Philippines

Objective1. Produce a series of short, internet-friendly broadcasts on tilapia culture

2. Conduct workshop on best management practices for pond-cultured tilapia and provide a Tilapia Cast to appropriate user groups (aquaculture farmers, students, and faculty).

Investigation 4Alternative feed reduction strategies to improve milkfish production efficiency in the Philippines

Objective1. Compare traditional daily feeding, alternate day feeding, and two-week and four-week feed deprivation-refeeding cycles on compensatory growth and milkfish production characteristics in brackish and marine water.

2. Test optimal feed restriction/refeeding period of objective 1 on milkfish growout in BW ponds and cages in marine waters.

Investigation 5Training in Sustainable Coastal Aquaculture Technologies in Indonesia and the Philippines

ObjectiveConduct a series of short training courses demonstrating alternatives to monoculture of shrimp, i.e. techniques for seaweed, oyster and tilapia-shrimp polyculture, in Aceh Province of Indonesia and the Luzon and Visayas regions of the Philippines

Determine if farmers receiving training adopt some of the techniques rather than returning to shrimp monoculture.

Investigation 6Implications of export market opportunities for tilapia farming practices in the Philippines

ObjectiveDetermine requirements for export opportunities for tilapia in the Philippines, assess implications of the export markets on production systems, and provide recommendations for facilitating the development of an export market.

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