Estimating the economic benefits and costs of conserving marine protected area in San Jose, Antique, Philippines

The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Philippines becomes a priority management strategy to conserve marine biodiversity and address the problem of declining marine resources. Economic studies can be a viable tool to determine MPA as a management option by evaluating their benefits and costs to the community. In order to determine the economic benefits of MPAs in San Jose, Antique, the total economic value of the resource consisting of direct and indirect use and non-use values was determined in 2016. Direct benefits from revenues and tourism amounted to Php 247,739.61 at the time of the study. Concurrently, the indirect functional benefits of MPA amounted to Php 2,162,235 using the benefit-transfer method. In measuring the non-use values of the MPA, the contingent valuation method was used to elicit the people’s willingness to pay for the MPA conservation program. The mean willingness to pay (WTP) of 260 participants equals Php 219.00, and the social WTP amounted to Php 5,725,136.89. The total benefits of managing the MPA amounted to Php 8,135,111.50, which exceeded the cost of conserving the MPA, which amounted to only Php 1,235,363.30. The net present values across 25 year period and different interest rates generated positive results

Isolation of potential probionts from brackishwater enriched with high levels of carbon source

The majority of shrimp producers utilize probiotics derived from terrestrial sources as part of their aquaculture management. The beneficial effects of terrestrial probiotics on shrimp may be affected due to environmental differences between the cultivated species and the source of the probiotics. To ensure maximum effects on the host, it is essential to use probionts derived from the host or the environment of the cultured organism. Consequently, the objective of this study was to isolate and characterize potential probionts from brackishwater by enriching the water with organic sources containing a high ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N). Six 10-li containers were filled with brackishwater from an estuary for a mesocosm experiment. To stimulate bacterial growth, water was enriched with either molasses or brown sugar at a C:N ratio of 15. After twenty days, all heterotrophic bacteria in the enriched water were enumerated. The in vitro antagonistic activities of distinct bacterial colonies against Vibrio harveyi, a crustacean pathogen, were evaluated on fresh Nutrient Agar plates containing 1% sodium chloride. There were 10 bacterial isolates with in vitro antibacterial activity. These bacterial isolates are categorized as belonging to the putative genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Sphingobium, and Rheinheimera. The implications of this study suggest that enriching brackishwater with organic carbon sources at high C:N ratios may increase the likelihood of isolating and developing potential probionts for shrimp aquaculture.This work was supported by the research project, “Biofloc-based Nursery Tank Production of Shrimp for Quality and Sustainable Supply of Aquaculture Products in the New Normal” funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Science for Change Program (S4CP) –Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE) and monitored by DOST –Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) with Project Number 8444 awarded to CMA Caipang. The authors of this paper also appreciate the support provided by their respective institutions; namely, the University of the Philippines Visayas, Marmi Agricultural Corporation, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Universitas Riau and the University of San Agustin during the preparation of the manuscript

AQD Matters 2023 September - October

In this issue: 1) Regional Training Course on Advanced Aquaculture Technologies a success; 2) SEAFDEC Secretary-General explores AQD stations in Iloilo, Guimaras; 3) SEAFDEC/AQD readies future tiger shrimp breeders as 'Oplan Balik Sugpo' pushes on; 4) SEAFDEC/AQD joins Iloilo Farmers' and Fisherfolks' Week celebration; 5) SEAFDEC/AQD connects with stakeholders during international trade exhibit; 6) Developments in tiger shrimp, crustacean research showcased in conference; 7) Research collab on whiteleg shrimp nets 4.2 tons; 8) Deputy Chief Ito shares successful case studies at international conference; 9) SEAFDEC/AQD joins consortium for enhanced science collaboration in Western Visayas; 10) Project reviewed, plans for 2024 unveiled; 11) Scientist shares research on cost-efficient feeds during fisheries convention; 12) Free eye examination for staff, dependents; 13) Information staff discuss strategies to improve information dissemination; 14) Scientist investigates how male shrimp get fertility boost from worms; 15) Garlic extract to treat fish infections? A research team first assesses the effects of garlic on tilapia; 16) How to prevent shrimp diseases with hydrated lim

Undervalued, understaffed, underdeveloped, and underutilized? The status of public libraries in the eleven municipalities of rural Iloilo Province, Philippines

Libraries, as service-oriented organizations, are being guided on every aspect of their operation by local and international standards. In the Philippines, public libraries are expected to adhere to the stipulations of the Philippine Standards for Public Libraries. This study was conducted to assess the adherence of the 11 municipal libraries in Iloilo Province to the following areas of the Standards: library administration, collection management, services and utilization, physical facilities, financial resources, and linkages, networking and collaboration. Findings revealed that most libraries were non-compliant with almost all aspects of the Standards. Specifically, the majority lacked support from their local government units and were managed by non-professional librarians with inadequate knowledge and skills in successfully managing a library. Additionally, most libraries have a low budget to purchase updated resources of various types and formats and appropriate facilities and equipment. Furthermore, almost all libraries lacked networks and linkages, and collaborative activities that could have helped librarians enhance their skills, improve library resources and services, and increase their visibility and value to the stakeholders. Consequently, most municipal libraries could not fulfill the community's information needs; therefore, they remained undervalued and underutilized

Molluscan aquaculture in the Philippines: A review

Molluscs are among the most valuable resources of the Philippines, an archipelagic country of 7,107 islands bounded by 36,000 km of coastline and 26.6 million ha of coastal waters. In 2020, production from mussels and oysters alone valued at PhP1.552 billion. As primary sources of food and livelihood for marginalized fisherfolk, they are considered important in food security, nutrition, and poverty alleviation. Nevertheless, for almost a century, mollusc culture remained small-scale, with most fish farmers investing in non-fed species, like mussels and oysters. Moreover, mollusc culture in the country is still dependent on wild sources of seed stocks, making production unsustainable and unreliable. This dependence on the wild seed stocks will continue until the issue of the lack of commercial-scale hatcheries or the limited capacity of existing hatcheries to produce seeds, both for top and emerging mollusc aquaculture species, is resolved. Although technologies from broodstock management to post-harvest are available in some species, the lack of capital and the limited government support limit these artisanal fishers from doing large commercial-scale culture. This paper summarizes what has been done and published on the leading mollusc species cultured in the Philippines. Future research activities may be designed based on the research gaps to refine available technologies and develop new ones to improve culture production. The lack of or limited relevant information on the viable economics of the different culture techniques at different culture phases, the limited availability of post-harvest technologies, and the sparse or lack of genetic information for these leading mollusc species are among the gaps that need to be addressed.Funds for these mollusc studies came from the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD); the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD); the Government of Japan Trust Fund; the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS); and the Ayala Corporation

Genomic analysis of Vibrio harveyi strain PH1009, a potential multi-drug resistant pathogen due to acquisition of toxin genes

The following is the Supplementary data to this article:  Download .xls (8.95 MB)In has increasingly been observed that viral and bacterial coinfection frequently occurs among cultured shrimp and this coinfection could exacerbate the disease phenotype. Here, we describe a newly discovered bacterial strain, Vibrio harveyi PH1009 collected from Masbate Island, Philippines that was found to be co-infecting with the White Spot Syndrome virus a sample of black tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon. The genome of V. harveyi PH1009 was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Average Nucleotide identity calculation with Vibrio harveyi strains confirmed its taxonomic identity. It is a potential multi-drug and multi-heavy metal resistant strain based on the multiple antibiotic and heavy metal resistance determinants annotated on its genome. Two prophage regions were identified in its genome. One contained genes for Zona occludens toxin (Zot) and Accessory cholera toxin (Ace), essential toxins of toxigenic V. cholerae strains apart from CTX toxins. Pan-genome analysis of V. harveyi strains, including PH1009, revealed an “open” pan-genome for V. harveyi and a core genome mainly composed of genes necessary for growth and metabolism. Phylogenetic tree based on the core genome alignment revealed that PH1009 was closest to strains QT520, CAIM 1754, and 823tez1. Published virulence factors present on the strain QT520 suggest similar pathogenicity with PH1009. However, PH1009 Zot was not found on related strains but was present in strains HENC-01 and CAIM 148. Most unique genes found in the PH1009 strain were identified as hypothetical proteins. Further annotation showed that several of these hypothetical proteins were phage transposases, integrases, and transcription regulators, implying the role of bacteriophages in the distinct genomic features of the PH1009 genome. The PH1009 genome will serve as a valuable genomic resource for comparative genomic studies and in understanding the disease mechanism of the Vibrio harveyi species.This research was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology, Philippines. We acknowledge the Philippine Shrimp Pathogenomics Program members for their help in collecting, processing, and analyzing various isolates; and the Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute for funding support to C.A.D.M. and R.M.M

Seaweed Gracilariopsis heteroclada, formulated flaked diet, and a combination of both as feed for the abalone Haliotis asinina: Effect on growth and survival

This paper compares the effect of feeding the abalone Haliotis asinina with seaweed (SW), formulated (FD), and mixed (SW+FD) diets. The feeding experiment, in six replicates, was conducted in a tank facility and lasted for 10 months. At the end of the experiment, abalone fed mixed diets had significantly the highest mean shell length and body weight (45.90±0.19 mm, 22.82±0.31 g), followed by those fed seaweeds (43.47±0.17 mm, 18.25±0.26 g), and lastly, by those fed formulated diets (41.78±0.18 mm, 15.76±0.22 g). Mean growth rates were significantly higher in abalone fed mixed diets at 1.48±0.03 mm and 1.69±0.04 g mo−1 than those fed seaweeds (1.26±0.03 mm, 1.27±0.06 g mo−1) or formulated diet (1.06±0.09 mm, 1.00±0.11 g mo−1). Survival was consistent 1 month from the start of culture until harvest—highest in abalone fed mixed diets (78.81±2.48%), followed by those fed seaweeds (70.12±4.07%), and lastly formulated diet (64.53±4.61%). Moreover, feed conversion ratios (FCR) were significantly lower in abalone fed mixed diets (15.48±0.69) and formulated diet (18.07±3.50) compared with those fed seaweeds (41.31±2.36). The body weight to shell length ratios (BW:SL), which were the same in all treatments at the start of the experiment (0.19 g mm−1), increased to 0.51, 0.44, and 0.38 in abalone fed mixed diets, seaweeds, and formulated diet, respectively. Based on the results of this experiment, giving abalone a mix of formulated and natural diets is the best feeding regime. The importance of a balanced and more nutritional diet on the well-being of the abalone was observed in this study.The authors greatly appreciate the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) for funding the study (Study Code: FD-04-M2020T)

Effect of size grading on growth of yellow Pacific shortfin eel (Anguilla bicolor pacifica)

Heterogeneous growth, which is common among farmed fish, can be remedied by size grading. This study focused on whether the size grading process, which is commonly practiced in aquaculture, improves the subsequent growth performance of the Pacific shortfin eel Anguilla bicolor pacifica. Eels [338.70 ± 4.70 mm total length (TL) and 84.93 ± 1.87 g body weight (BW)] were initially reared for 60 days (pre-size grading period) and manually divided into three size groups: small (≤115 g), large (>150 g) and mixed (>115 g but <170 g), all maintained at a density of 5 kg m−3 and reared until day 150 (size grading period). After size grading, mean BW and TL at harvest significantly differed in all eel groups, suggesting growth was size specific. Nonetheless, at day 150, except for biomass, size grading had no significant effect on growth and survival, coefficient of variation of length and weight, and Fulton's condition factor. Large eels had a significantly higher feed intake than mixed or small eels, whereas feed efficiency did not differ among eel groups. Results suggest that size grading promotes size-specific growth but did not improve the overall growth performance of yellow stage of A. bicolor pacifica.This study was supported by grant funds from the Japan ASEAN Integration Fund (Br-02-Y2018B) and the Government of Japan-Trust Fund (8300-B-RD-FD0415 and 8300-B-RD-FD0120)

Distribution pattern and habitat use of the protandrous shrimp Pandalus latirostris in relation to environmental characteristics in Akkeshi waters on the pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido, Japan

A sampling of the protandric shrimp, Pandalus latirostris, was conducted at fixed sites from July 2015 to March 2020 in Akkeshi Bay and the connecting Lake Akkeshi on the Pacific coast of eastern Hokkaido. Based on the occurrence pattern of P. latirostris, most individuals begin mating as males at Age-1, followed by a sex change to females, spawn eggs as females at Age-2, and hatch their eggs in the spring of Age-3. Pre-hatching ovigerous females were mainly found in eelgrass beds near and in Lake Akkeshi, where the water temperature was relatively high. The females probably migrate there to hatch their eggs, making sure of the high survival and growth of the hatched larvae. Juveniles and small males were also abundant in near and in Lake Akkeshi, indicating that many larvae remained in the eelgrass beds where they hatched. These eelgrass beds play an important role in the maintenance of the shrimp population as a major egg-hatching site and nursery habitat in Akkeshi waters. With ontogenetic development, the occurrence rate of P. latirostris gradually increased on the offshore side of Akkeshi Bay, with its body size being larger. As P. latirostris grow, they will probably disperse to the offshore side of Akkeshi Bay. However, the density of P. latirostris in the eelgrass bed in the bay near the lake was extremely high, with its strong preference at all ontogenetic stages. This eelgrass bed would help maintain the shrimp population as a “key habitat” for the shrimp. The site-specific environmental characteristics of vegetation beds influence the distribution and abundance of individuals within a population of P. latirostris through their growth and the associated change in habitat preference. In this study, the importance of maintaining the diverse habitats of P. latirostris will be discussed as part of the shrimp stock management measures

Pag-aalaga at pagpaparami ng likas na pagkain para sa similya ng mga isda at hipong tabang

Inilalarawan sa manwal na ito ang iba’t-ibang paraan ng pag-aalaga at pagpaparami ng microalgae at iba pang natural na organismong pagkain para sa mga similya ng isda at hipong tabang na inaalagaan at pinaparami sa mga hatcheries. Sa pamamagitan ng manwal na ito, maisusulong ang paggamit ng mga natural at naproseso na mga nasabing organismo bilang isang paraan para mapabuti ang produksyon ng mga isda at hipong tabang. Ang manwal na ito ay sadyang isinulat para makatulong sa mga lokal na may-ari ng mga hatcheries ng ulang at isdang tabang kabilang na ang kanilang mga technicians. Ito ay naglalayong magkaroon sila ng mas mahusay na pag-unawa sa kahalagahan ng pagpaparami at pag-aalaga ng ng mga likas na pagkain bilang isang kritikal na aspeto sa pag-aalaga at masaganang produksyon ng mga similya sa hatchery.Filipin