institutional capacity development for sustainable ... · nary collaborations, seafdec-aqd launched...

K. Tsukamoto, T. Kawamura, T. Takeuchi, T. D. Beard, Jr. and M. J. Kaiser, eds.Fisheries for Global Welfare and Environment, 5th World Fisheries Congress 2008, pp. 435–448.© by TERRAPUB 2008.

Institutional Capacity Development forSustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries:

Strategic Partnership withLocal Institutions

Renato F. Agbayani and Joebert D. Toledo*

Aquaculture DepartmentSoutheast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC)

Tigbauan, Iloilo 5021, the Philippines

*E-mail: [email protected]

Many people living in the rural areas in the Philippines, as in other developing countries inSoutheast Asia, depend on aquatic resources for their food and livelihood. For the pasttwo decades, the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries DevelopmentCenter (SEAFDEC-AQD) has been working with fishing communities and people’s organi-zations, business sector, local government units, national government agencies, non-gov-ernment organizations (NGOs) and academic and other research institutions to promotethe efficient conservation, management and sustainable development of the country’sfisheries and aquatic resources so that these may continue to serve the needs of thepeople today and tomorrow.

Using the lessons learned from those two decades of multi-sectoral and inter-discipli-nary collaborations, SEAFDEC-AQD launched in late 2006 a project called InstitutionalCapacity Development for Sustainable Aquaculture (ICDSA) to hasten the transfer to andadoption by coastal villagers of appropriate technologies that would enhance the produc-tivity of aquatic resources and at the same time safeguard the fragile balance of the aquaticecology.

The experience of SEAFDEC in coastal resource management shows that it is impor-tant to engage the collaboration of the local government units and other “on-the-ground”institutions, such as NGOs and people’s organizations, to be able to introduce effectivelyany social and technological interventions to target community-beneficiaries. However,before a fruitful collaboration among these institutions could be attained, there is a needto build their capacities, and those of the beneficiaries, for the vital roles that they play inthe implementation of livelihood projects and environmental management programs.

As of January 2008, SEAFDEC-AQD is implementing ICDSA projects in four prov-inces—Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Northern Samar in central Philippines. In the pipe-line are similar projects for a province in southern Philippines and two provinces in thenorth.

KEYWORDS capacity building; aquatic resources management; sustainableaquaculture; Malalison, Phillippines

http://www.terrapub.co.jp/onlineproceedings/fs/wfc2008/index.html

436 R. F. AGBAYANI AND J. D. TOLEDO

1. Introduction

The aquatic resources of the Philippines pro-vide food and livelihood to some millionsof Filipinos in rural areas of the archipelago.As in other Southeast Asian countries, thePhilippines’ fishery resources have sufferedalarming degradation due to overfishing tomeet the demands of the burgeoning popu-lation, destructive fishing methods, industrialand domestic effluents, and irresponsibleaquaculture practices. In response to warn-ings from different sectors since the mid-1960s, the Philippine government enactedlaws and made policies for the protection,conservation and sustainable development ofthe country’s fisheries and aquatic resources.

Two landmark legislations that have sig-nificantly supported the aquatic resources de-velopment thrust of the Philippines are Re-public Act (RA) 7160, known as the LocalGovernment Code, and RA 8550, the Fish-eries Code of the Philippines. The LocalGovernment Code sets the legal frameworkfor the democratic decentralization—fromthe national executive branch of governmentto local government units (LGUs), i.e. pro-vincial and municipal levels of govern-ment—of decision-making, planning andimplementation of development programs,and promulgation and implementation oflocal ordinances in support of local devel-opment goals. The Fisheries Code spells outthe government’s goals and policies regard-ing fishery resources, and unequivocallystates that LGUs plan and implement theirown fisheries development programs, andcalls for the empowerment of people’s or-ganizations (POs) to manage, conserve andprotect, develop and utilize fishery resourceswithin municipal waters (15 kilometers fromshoreline). The LGUs shall grant demarcatedfishery rights to fishery organizations/coop-eratives for mariculture operation in specificareas.

The Aquaculture Department of theSoutheast Asian Fisheries DevelopmentCenter (SEAFDEC-AQD), mandated to pro-mote and undertake aquaculture research anddevelopment (R&D) relevant to SoutheastAsia, has been collaborating during the pasttwo decades with LGUs, POs, non-govern-ment organizations (NGOs), national gov-ernment agencies, business sector, and aca-demic and research institutions on commu-nity-based coastal resources managementprojects that foster the sustainable develop-ment and responsible utilization of fisheryresources. Its mission is to provide dynamicand competent leadership in the generationof science-based technologies in order tostrengthen stakeholder capacities inaquaculture and aquatic resources manage-ment.

From its experience, SEAFDEC-AQDhas seen that the success of social and tech-nological interventions to ameliorate the peo-ple’s lives and conserve aquatic resourceshinges on a strong collaboration among thestakeholders—the LGUs, concerned nationalgovernment agencies, legislative andpolicymaking bodies, beneficiary-communi-ties, POs, NGOs, fund donors, and academicand R&D institutions. Strong collaborationis dependent on the capacity of the differentinstitutions to perform their roles in supportof the projects.

A community-based development modelprovides for the return of the decision-mak-ing to the people and recognizes their abili-ties to manage the resources needed to meettheir needs (Agbayani and Babol 2001). Thisdevelopment model requires the transforma-tion of the community institutions to enablethem to manage and control resources in re-sponse to local needs and preferences(Korten 1988). In an emerging paradigm shiftof community-based resource managementor co-management in a broader sense, therole of local government is to facilitate thedevelopment process through empoweringand capacity building of local institutions.

Institutional capacity development for sustainable aquaculture and fisheries 437

2. SEAFDEC-AQD R&D Framework

Figure 1 demonstrates SEAFDEC-AQD’sR&D Framework (Agbayani et al. 2007). Itintegrates aquaculture research and develop-ment in a cycle of activities that is based ona strong collaboration between SEAFDEC-AQD and the different fishery resourcesstakeholders such as fishing communities,fishing and aquaculture business sector,LGUs, national government agencies, legis-lative and policy-making bodies, academicand research institutions.

Research, Technology Generation:Strong science is the foundation of tech-

nology generation. Aquaculture technologiesgenerated by SEAFDEC-AQD are the resultsof years of painstaking research done by sci-entists and technologists whose work have

been published in international, peer-reviewedscientific journals.

Technology Transfer, Technology Adoption:Technologies generated by SEAFDEC-

AQD go through commercial-scale runs toevaluate their technical and economic feasi-bility, and fine-tune them for eventual dis-semination to end-users. After successfultrial runs, information about the technolo-gies is disseminated through the popularmedia, and how-to manuals and brochuresare prepared for clients.

Farm demonstrations and trainingcourses are conducted either at SEAFDEC-AQD facilities or on-site, whichever is moreconvenient to technology users.

Technology Impact Assessment:Aquaculture technologies are assessed

in terms of their techno-biophysical and

Fig. 1. SEAFDEC R&D framework


economic feasibility, social acceptability,and implications on institutional arrange-ments.

SEAFDEC-AQD Collaboration withStakeholders: Throughout the R&Dprocess, SEAFDEC-AQD maintains regularconsultation and dialogue with stakeholder-collaborators to ensure the effective transferof technology and information, and the ac-curacy of impact assessment.

3. The Malalison Experience: Commu-nity-based Fishery Resources

Management

SEAFDEC-AQD’s experience in workingwith fishing communities, LGUs, NGOs andPOs started with an eight-year (1991–1998)community-based fishery resources manage-ment (CFRM) project on Malalison Island,Culasi, Antique Province, in central Philip-pines. The success of this project has madeit a model for other CFRM projects in otherparts of the country (Agbayani et al. 2000).

3.1. Background and objectives

The CFRM Project, funded by the Interna-tional Development Research Center (IDRC)of Canada, was implemented by an interdis-ciplinary team of biologists, socioecono-mists, social workers, engineers andaquaculture technologists. The project objec-tives were to: 1) develop the community intoa strong organization that could manage itsfishery resources; 2) teach livelihood skillsto the fisherfolk and provide them capital tostart livelihood projects; and, 3) regeneratefish habitats and increase fish stocks.

Biological and socioeconomic surveyswere conducted in 1991–1992 to determinethe people’s preparedness to receive suchinterventions. Significant findings are pre-sented below:

Malalison’s municipal waters werefished by both the island’s residents and thosefrom other communities. The dominant fish

species caught were fusilier, surgeonfish,snapper and grouper. Dynamite and cyanidefishing were rampant despite the nationallaws banning and penalizing these destruc-tive practices because of inconsistent lawenforcement. The coral reefs were degradedand their fish yield was a low 5.8 tons/km2/yr (Amar et al. 1996).

The socioeconomic survey revealed that98% of the Malalison residents depended onmarine resources surrounding the island fortheir food and livelihood; 93% had an in-come below poverty level (Agbayani andSiar 1994). The islanders generally had loweducational attainment: most had only four-six years elementary schooling with a fewreaching high school level.

The islanders had an informal and un-registered organization called MICA (whichstood for the island’s location address;Malalison Island, Culasi, Antique) that co-ordinated community efforts mainly for thecelebration of the annual feast day of theirpatron saint.

3.2. Capacity-building and social reform:preparations for socioeconomic, envi-ronmental and policy interventions

The findings of the surveys showed the needfor capacity-building and social reforms toprepare the islanders for socioeconomic,environmental, and policy interventions.SEAFDEC-AQD, in close coordination withthe village leaders conducted consultationswith the islanders to determine the trainingneeds and social reforms to be advocated.

3.2.1. Community empowerment thruknowledge and skills training

SEAFDEC-AQD engaged the services of anNGO (PROCESS Foundation) as partner inthe social preparation and values formationof the islanders. Starting in 1992, PROCESSconducted training courses on organizationaldevelopment and management, cooperativedevelopment and management, financialmanagement, environmental protection,


gender sensitivity, hog-raising, entrepreneur-ship development, project management, andfunds accessing and sourcing. PROCESS alsoconducted seminars on para-legal work, lob-bying and advocacy, and on the provisionsof the Local Government Code on fisheriesmanagement.

3.2.2. Study-tours of potential modelsfor development

SEAFDEC-AQD also brought the villageleaders on a study-tour of coastal barangaysin different provinces whose initiatives couldserve as Malalison’s examples for develop-ment.

3.2.3. Formal organization for formallink and community action

One important social preparation was theestablishment of a formal organization forthe community: the Fishermen’s Associationof Malalison Island (FAMI). Registered withthe Securities and Exchange Commission in1992, FAMI served as the formal link be-tween SEAFDEC-AQD and the communityand the platform for community action. Callsfor community dialogues on contentious is-sues and consultations on the Project’s ac-tivities were channeled thru FAMI.

FAMI also functioned as a cooperative,thus, the CFRM Project released thru FAMIloans for alternative livelihood such as hog-and poultry-raising, a cooperative store, andseaweed farming (Hurtado-Ponce 1992;Hurtado et al. 1998).

FAMI, guided by the Project, hosted dia-logues on how to assert the islanders’ rightsover their territorial waters and protect theirfishery resources from further destructiondue to illegal fishing. They prepared resolu-tions asking their town council, through theirbarangay council to grant them territorial userights in fisheries (TURF), declare a reef areaas fish sanctuary, and approve the deploy-ment of concrete artificial reefs (ARs) neartheir island and allocate an amount from theirbarangay funds to help defray costs for thedeployment.

3.3. Project milestones

The following are the milestone achieve-ments of the Malalison CFRM Project:

1) Granting of TURFs:With TURF granted by Municipal Or-

dinance 5–90, the FAMI members weregiven the rights to and responsibility for theproper utilization, management and controlof the territorial waters of their island.

2) Declaration of a fish sanctuaryWith technical advice and scientific data

provided by SEAFDEC-AQD, the islanderschose the Guiob reef area to be declared as afish sanctuary. The area was a major fishingground for the islanders; it is the habitat ofvarious fish species that needed to be con-served; and it is near enough for surveillancepurposes.

3) Construction and deployment of concreteartificial reefs

The ARs were designed and constructedby SEAFDEC-AQD engineers. They wereused for coral reef regeneration, and not forfish aggregation. These were deployed in1995 in two coral reef areas—Guiob andKawit—with 26 modules per area (Tenedero1995).

4) Creation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Re-sources Management Council

In accordance with the Local Govern-ment Code, the islanders formed a Fisheriesand Aquatic Resources Management Coun-cil (FARMC) in June 1995. FARMC’s func-tions are to: 1) prepare fisheries managementplans and policies based on scientific assess-ment and socioeconomic considerations;and, 2) recommend to this local governmentand concerned national government agenciesthe issuance of permits for the appropriateuse of fishery resources.

5) Use of scientific data in support of fishsanctuary

The value of scientific data forpolicymaking was demonstrated when the


town council approved the declaration of afish sanctuary based on the data provided bySEAFDEC-AQD.

6) Municipal Council approval of the dec-laration of a fish sanctuary

The declaration of a fish sanctuary bythe Culasi Municipal Council was a first inthe province of Antique, and is consideredas a groundbreaking initiative.

7) Multiplier effect of the Malalison CFRMThe Malalison CFRM project “spawned”

14 fish sanctuaries in the municipality ofCulasi and in three nearby municipalities—Sebaste, Pandan and Libertad. Two unifiedcoastal resources management councils werealso established, patterned after theMalalison model. The first is the LIPASECU(Libertad, Pandan, Sebaste, Culasi) Councilwhich was organized to coordinate and over-see the planning and implementation of anintegrated coastal resources management inthe four municipalities. The second is theBanate Bay Coastal Resources Management,Inc. which was established to coordinate andintegrate the management and developmentof four coastal municipalities in the adjacentprovince of Iloilo.

8) Enhancement of SEAFDEC-AQD train-ing courses

SEAFDEC-AQD’s training courseswere enhanced by the incorporation of top-ics on community-based coastal resourcesmanagement. Most information incorporatedin the lectures were from the Malalison ex-perience.

9) Impact assessmentFish landings. Fish landings on

Malalison Island were monitored duringJune1995–1997 to determine the speciescomposition of catch, catch per unit effortand yield from different fishing areas. Reefand reef-associated fish yield was estimatedat 22.44 tons/km2/yr. This was almost four-fold increase from the 1992 estimate of5.8 tons/km2/yr. (Primavera, 2002).

Policy dialogue and development. Theconcept of TURF was acceptable to the fish-ers and was perceived as beneficial to them(Siar et al. 1992).

Resource co-management strategy. Acase study revealed that fishery resources co-management was perceived to be successfulbased on the criteria of social equity, man-agement efficiency and environmentalsustainability (Baticados and Agbayani2000).

4. Institutional Capacity Developmentfor Sustainable Aquaculture

4.1. Background and rationale

The success of the Malalison project enabledopportunities for SEAFDEC-AQD to reachout to various stakeholders in other prov-inces.

Using lessons from the MalalisonCFRM Project and guided by its R&D frame-work, SEAFDEC-AQD launched in mid-2006 a project called Institutional CapacityDevelopment for Sustainable Aquaculture(ICDSA). The first project site is located inthe province of Antique, in central Philip-pines. The next three are located in the prov-inces of Guimaras, Capiz and NorthernSamar, all in central Philippines.

The project is based on the belief thatstrong collaboration among stakeholdersunderpins the effective introduction of so-cial and technological interventions to im-prove the socioeconomic conditions of thepeople and promote the efficient manage-ment and sustainable development of natu-ral resources. Strong collaboration may onlybe achieved if the stakeholders have the ca-pacities to perform their share in communalinitiatives.

The overall goal of ICDSA, therefore,is to build the capacities of aquatic resourceusers by providing them with knowledge andskills to become responsible resource man-agers and users.


ICDSA’s specific objectives are to:1) build the capacity of LGUs, community-based organizations, non-government or-ganizations, fishery schools and other on-the-ground institutions for the practice of sus-tainable aquaculture; 2) demonstrate thetechnical and financial feasibility ofaquaculture technologies in project sites;3) ensure the sustainability of aquacultureas a livelihood for small-scale fishers; 4) pro-vide stakeholders with scientific informationon aquaculture and aquatic resources; 5) as-sess the Project’s contributions to the im-provement of the socioeconomic well-beingof fishing communities, impacts on theaquatic ecology, and influence on local leg-islation for effective governance of aquaticresources; and, 6) evaluate the effectivenessof mechanisms for the transfer and adoptionof aquaculture technologies.

4.2. Project strategies

4.2.1. Community-based and co-management approaches

SEAFDEC-AQD makes it a pre-requisite forits ICDSA projects that target beneficiary-communities are organized and are maderesponsible for the proper management andutilization of their aquatic resources. But forthem to become efficient co-managers, theymust possess the knowledge and skills forthe job.

SEAFDEC-AQD conducts a rapid so-cial assessment to establish a socioeconomicdatabase of the community. The survey in-cludes socio-demographic profile, incomeand livelihood options, and involvement incommunity activities, including resourcemanagement and conflicts resolution. Thesurvey, together with community consulta-tions, determines the social and technologi-cal interventions to be introduced and thesocial preparations needed for the effectiveintroduction of such interventions.

Social preparation is critical in the suc-cess of community-based resource manage-ment and livelihood projects. NGOs and aca-

demic institutions are usually engaged toconduct seminar-workshops on basic envi-ronmental protection and management, or-ganizational development and management,cooperative management, basic accountingand bookkeeping, gender-sensitivity aware-ness, lobbying and advocacy, fund access-ing and sourcing, and basic laws and ordi-nances that have to do with the developmentand utilization of common properties.

4.2.2. Formal partnership with localinstitutions

For ICDSA projects, SEAFDEC-AQD en-ters into formal partnership with LGUs andother concerned government agencies,NGOs and POs. A Memorandum of Agree-ment defines the partnership’s terms of ref-erences, and the roles and responsibilities ofthe parties involved in the project.

The budget for the project implementa-tion is provided by a client (LGU, NGO, PO).It is either sourced internally (as in the caseof LGUs) or from a donor. SEAFDEC-AQDnormally shoulders expenses for pre-projectactivities, such as transportation, accommo-dation and incidental expenses of scientistsand technical staff who conduct pre-projectsurveys needed in the project proposal prepa-ration.

4.3. Project activities

Training, technology demonstration and re-search are the three main activities of ICDSAprojects. The ICDSA projects, in effect, be-come: 1) an R&D platform for the demon-stration of the technical and economic feasi-bility of aquaculture technologies; 2) a labo-ratory for the assessment of socioeconomicand environmental impacts of aquaculturetechnologies; and, 3) on-site training groundfor beneficiary communities.

4.3.1. Season-long training courses

Season-long training courses are conductedon-site. A season-long course consists of aseries of training modules conducted


throughout the production cycle of a culturedcommodity. Each module is usually con-ducted over a two-three day period and iscomposed of lectures and hands-on practi-cal sessions.

The purpose of season-long trainingcourses—which can extend for four to sixmonths or longer—is to enable participantsto learn technical knowledge and skills byallowing them to participate in actual pro-duction activities such as pond/pen prepara-tion, stocking, feeding, water quality man-agement, fish health management, harvest-ing and marketing. The extended period oftraining gives participants more time to ab-sorb and understand the course topics. Ca-maraderie among the trainees and familiar-ity with their trainers may develop over time;this friendly atmosphere is conducive to shar-ing observations and solving productionproblems collegially.

The general topics covered by the train-ing courses are: 1) Aquaculture productionsystems; 2) stock sampling, feeding, waterquality and fish health management; 3) farm-based feed formulation and preparation;4) business planning and management; 5) har-vest, post-harvest handling, and marketing,and other special topics.

The languages used during lectures area combination of English and Filipino. Thelocal dialects are also used if the lecturersare conversant in them. Visual aids are acombination of the modern and standard im-plements: PowerPoint presentations, and il-lustrations on chalkboards or manila paper.

4.3.2. On-site technology demonstra-tion and production runs

The selection of species and culture systemsthat will be demonstrated on-site are deter-mined by community consultation, expertobservation and analysis, and economic vi-ability. The community consultation helpsdetermine the appropriateness of a technol-ogy based on the resources and capabilitiesof the beneficiaries. SEAFDEC-AQD scien-

tists analyze the techno-bio-physical char-acteristics of the aquatic resources to deter-mine if the aquaculture technology that willbe demonstrated is suitable for them.

The aquaculture farm design is preparedby SEAFDEC-AQD experts in consultationwith the clients/beneficiaries/donors. Con-struction of farm facilities is done with se-lected beneficiaries before the start of orduring the “training-run” production, which-ever is more practical andappropriate.

Preliminary financial feasibility analy-sis is prepared by SEAFDEC-AQD econo-mists using costs-and-returns and discountedfinancial projections. Financial indicatorsused are return on investments and paybackperiod, net present value, internal rate of re-turn, and benefit-cost ratio. The indicatorsare used as budgeting instruments in the pro-duction run.

The first production run is a “trainingrun,” closely supervised by SEAFDEC-AQDtrainers. Participants perform the actual pro-duction operations like stocking, feeding,sampling and monitoring, disease surveil-lance and prevention, cage/pond repair andmaintenance, harvesting, and marketing. Thesucceeding production runs are operated andmanaged by the beneficiaries, if they areevaluated as ready and capable, with mini-mum supervision by SEAFDEC-AQD.

ICDSA project duration is usually threeyears—a period long enough for the benefi-ciaries to learn and gain confidence in oper-ating and managing aquaculture farms.

4.3.3. Research studies

Baseline socioeconomic data are gatheredthrough surveys and from secondary sourcesprior to or in the early months of the projectimplementation. At the start of the project,selected areas are studied to determine theircarrying capacity as potential sites foraquaculture projects.

At the end of the project, assessmentswill be conducted to measure, quantitativelyand qualitatively, the project impact on the


socioeconomic condition of the beneficiariesand on the aquatic environment. The infor-mation will be packaged into policy briefsand presented to LGUs to encouragelegislations in support of sustainableaquaculture and fisheries development.

4.4. Highlights of on-going projects

As of January 2008, there are four ongoingICDSA projects in four provinces—Antique,Capiz, Guimaras and Northern Samar—incentral Philippines. The following are the keypoints of the projects.

4.4.1. Antique province

A three-year (2006–2008) ICDSA project isfunded mainly by the Community Develop-ment Fund of the province’s congressionalrepresentative (US$ 10,000). The municipal-ity of Pandan, one of the project sites, con-tributed US$ 2,000.

1) Training courses

a. Seabass cage culture in ponds in the mu-nicipality of Hamtik

Held in June 2007, the training coursewas attended by 10 pond technicians. Thetrainees had a maximum of 10 years of for-mal schooling (elementary grades to highschool level).

b. Seabass cage culture in Pandan River inthe municipality of Pandan

Held in July 2007, the course was at-tended by 20 members of a fisherfolk coop-erative, Mag-aba Multi-purpose Coopera-tive. Most participants are full-time small-scale fishers with educational attainment ofup to high school.

c. Mudcrab culture in ponds in the munici-pality of Tibiao

Held in August 2007, the course wasconducted for students and teachers of fish-ery courses at the Polytechnique State Col-lege of Antique (PSCA). SEAFDEC-AQDhas an agreement with PSCA to conducttraining courses for fisheries students and

teachers. The goal is to develop PSCA as atraining and production center of selectedmarine and freshwater fishes in AntiqueProvince.

2) On-site aquaculture technology demon-strations

a. Seabass cage culture in ponds in the mu-nicipality of Hamtik

For the nursery operation, four net cages(3 × 2 × 1 m; mesh size, 0.5 cm) were in-stalled inside a pond. Hatchery-bred seabassfry were stocked in the first 2 cages at 130/m3

(780/cage) After 30–45 days, seabassfingerlings with average weight of about20 grams were transferred to grow out com-partments.

For the grow-out phase, a 1.25 ha.-pondwas divided by nets into six compartments(2080 m2/compartment). Seabass juveniles(ave. wt, 20 g) were released from the firstset of 4 units nursery cages to grow-out com-partments at 5000 fish/ha (1040 fish/com-partment). The second batch of fingerlingsfrom the second set of 4 units nursery cageswas released into 3 compartments twomonths later.

A strong typhoon hit the province mid-way through the production cycle and causedthe overflow of water and escape of fish fromthe ponds. Fish harvest was done after eightmonths, when 350–400 g wt was reached.The low survival—less than 50%—was at-tributed to overflow of water during the ty-phoon.

Another production run is planned for2008.

b. Cage culture of seabass in Pandan RiverFor the nursery phase, three units of

nursery cages (3 × 2.5 × 1 m) were set up togrow 1600 fry (2–3 cm long) up to 10–15cm long. Fry were stocked at 100 fish/m3.After 30–45 days, 5–10 cm long seabassfingerlings were transferred to grow-out netcages.

For the grow-out phase, 10–15 cm longfingerlings from the nursery cages were


stocked in 8 units of stationary net cages(4 × 2.5 × 1 m) at 20 fish/m3. The fish weregiven feeds formulated by SEAFDEC-AQD.

Selected harvesting was done starting onthe 6th month, when the fish reached 400 g.Harvest was completed on the 8th month.Survival was 60%.

3) Research

a. Abalone sea ranching in the municipalityof Anini-y

Started in October 2006, this ongoingproject aims to determine the technical andfinancial viability of the culture system. Searanching of abalone can be adopted by or-ganized fisherfolk.

b. Socioeconomic survey of the municipal-ity of Anini-y

The survey was undertaken in late Sep-tember 2007 to establish a socioeconomicdatabase that will be used in the assessmentof the impacts of the abalone sea ranchingand other future aquaculture projects.

4.4.2. Capiz Province

The three-year (2007–2009) project isfunded by the Capiz Provincial Governmentamounting to US$ 59,000. The Project hasthree components: brackishwater aquacul-ture, freshwater aquaculture and coastal re-sources management.

1) Training

a. Season-long training on brackishwateraquaculture of grouper and mudcrab inRoxas City

The training was conducted in the pondsof Capiz State University (CAPSU) in Feb-ruary–July 2007. There were 58 participants:17 LGU personnel, 19 fishpond/hatcheryoperators, and 9 students and 13 teachers ofCAPSU.

b. Season-long training on freshwateraquaculture of tilapia, catfish and prawn inthe municipality of Dumarao

The first session was conducted in No-vember 2007 for 20 rice farmers whose farms

are perennially flooded due to the unfinishedconstruction of a dam.

2) On-site aquaculture technology demon-stration

a. Grouper and mudcrab culture inbrackishwater ponds in Roxas City

Renovation and preparation of 3 unitsof ponds started in November 2006. Grouperfingerlings and crab juveniles fromSEAFDEC/AQD hatcheries were stocked inFebruary 2007, right after the first trainingmodule on Aquaculture Production Systems.Stock sampling was done at 15-day intervalsto monitor fish/crab growth. Water qualitywas monitored regularly to determine dis-solved oxygen, water temperature and salin-ity. Mudcrabs were harvested after a four-month culture period.

Results of the mudcrab harvest showeda very low 12% survival. This was due tohigh water salinity and high water tempera-ture (39°C) during the summer months(March–May). Crab molting is difficult insummer, resulting in slow growth and highrate of cannibalism. Another run is plannedduring the rainy seasons (May–October) andis expected to produce better results and dem-onstrate the economic viability of mudcrabculture.

For grouper culture, stock samplingshowed encouraging results with fish attain-ing a 295 g average body weight (ABW) af-ter 6.5-month culture period. Fish growth iswithin the acceptable range. The harvest wascompleted at the end of September 2007.

Results showed a 300 g ABW and 89%survival rate.

b. Freshwater cage culture of tilapia, cat-fish and freshwater prawn in the BadbaranRiver, in the municipality of Dumarao

This was part of the hands-on activityof the on-site training course cited above. InNovember 2007, net cages (8 units of 4 × 4× 1.5 m) were installed and stocked withtilapia, catfish and freshwater prawn (ulang).


3) Research

a. Socioeconomic survey of rice farmer-trainees in Dumarao

In January 2008, SEAFDEC-AQD willconduct a socioeconomic survey of the 20rice farmers who participated in the season-long training course on freshwater cultureof tilapia, catfish and prawn in November2007.

The results of the study will serve asbaseline data for the assessment of the so-cioeconomic impact of the technological in-tervention.

b. Ecological study of the Badbaran Riverin Dumarao

In early 2008, an ecological study ofBadbaran River will be conducted to deter-mine its carrying capacity.

4.4.3. Guimaras Province

The ICDSA project, called “Pilot Project onMilkfish Cage Culture as Livelihood Optionfor Guimaras Fisherfolk Affected by OilSpill,” is funded by Petron Corporation, theoil company that chartered the sunken oil car-rier that leaked oil in the seawaters ofGuimaras in October 2006. The project siteis in the Mariculture Park of the SEAFDEC-AQD Marine Station in Barangay Igang inGuimaras. Started in October 2007, this one-year project is estimated to cost US$ 78,000.Four fisherfolk organizations from fourbarangays (Igang, Rosario, San Antonio andSanto Domingo) are participating in theproject. They are represented by 29 personsfrom 29 fishing households from the fourbarangays.

1) Training

a. Season-long training course on milkfishcage culture

This training course has five phases.Phase I was a 2-day lecture-cum-practicummodule conducted in October 2007. All 29representatives of the four fisherfolk organi-zations attended Phase 1. The lecture topics

were: Overview of Sustainable Aquaculture;Milkfish Culture in Cages, Pens & Ponds;and Water Quality & Methods of Monitor-ing. Practicum was on instrumentation andfabrication and installation of net cages.Phase II, conducted in November 2007, wason stock sampling, water quality monitor-ing, feed formulation and preparation, andcage maintenance. Phases III–IV will becompleted in the first quarter of 2008.


Three floating net cages were constructedand installed within the Mariculture Park inOctober 2007. The cages serve both as train-ing and production facilities. Each cage hasa capacity of 600 m3 and was stocked with24,000 milkfish fingerlings per cage. Esti-mated culture period is four months. Com-mercial brands and SEAFDEC-formulatedfeeds are used. After 75 days of culture, fishABW was 135g; estimated survival rate was95%. The estimated profit of US$ 1000/percage will be equitably shared by the partici-pating fisherfolk organizations. The moneywill be used to construct and operate fishcages in their respective areas.

3) Research

a. Socioeconomic survey of participatingbarangays

A socioeconomic survey was started inNovember 2007 to gather baseline data thatwill be used in the assessment of the impactof the milkfish enterprises on the participat-ing barangays.

b. Ecological survey of the Mariculture ParkThe survey will determine the carrying

capacity of the Mariculture Park. Besides thePetron project, other aquaculture projectshave been set up in the Park by private firms.

4.4.4. Northern Samar Province

Started in July 2007, the 2.5-year projectcalled “Enhancing Adoption of Mud CrabProduction Technologies in Northern Samar”


is funded by the Australian Center for Inter-national Agricultural Research (ACIAR).Funds are channelled through ACE, an NGOthat implements Australian developmentprojects in the Philippines. Estimated to costUS$ 73,000, the project’s beneficiaries are325 fishing households from four munici-palities (Rosario, Lavasares, Lao-ang andPambujan). The households derive their in-come mainly from the sale of crabs caughtfrom the wild.

All the training courses were held in thefacilities of the University of Eastern Phil-ippines in Catarman, the capital town ofNorthern Samar.

1) Training

a. Season-long training on mudcrab nurs-ery in Catarman

The Phase 1 of the season-long trainingcourse was attended by 30 crab-catchersfrom the four municipalities. They were cho-sen by the fisherfolk organizations in theirrespective towns.

The training methodology was a com-bination of lectures and practical sessions.Languages used were English and Filipinoas well as Waray, the local language.SEAFDEC-AQD brought the ingredientsand utensils for the practicum in feed prepa-ration. Exercises on the computations of feedingredients were conducted to ensure that theparticipants understood the lectures and thepractical sessions.

Phase 2 was on methodology on stockassessment in selected sites. This was at-tended by representatives of partner-NGOs.The training included lecture and actualmapping and test-run in selected sites.


a. NurseryDemonstration of nursery culture will

start in January 2008.Under Phase 1, “fly”-size crab juveniles

(<1 cm carapace width) will be grown to ju-

veniles (2–2.5 cm CW) in 30 days using netcages in ponds.

In Phase 2, juveniles will be grown tomatch box size (4–5 cm CW) in 20–30 daysin net cages or ponds. The crabs will be fedfish and snails.

b. Grow-outJuveniles will be grown to marketable

size of 300–500 g in 5–6 months.

c. FatteningLean crabs will be fattened in ponds or

pens in mangrove areas in 3–4 weeks or un-til marketable size.

d. Feed formulationTo reduce the use of fish as crab-feed,

low-cost diets, using locally available ingre-dients, will be formulated for the project.

3) Research

a. Mudcrab market surveyStarted in November 2007, the one-year

market survey will determine the supply anddistribution channels of crabs from the prov-ince to crab farms all over the country.

b. Socioeconomic surveyThe baseline data gathering which cov-

ers 325 household-participants will start inthe first quarter of 2008.

c. Mudcrab stock assessmentStarted in November 2007, the ongoing

stock assessment is conducted in two sites—Rosario and Pambuhan—to determine theseasonal trends in relative abundance of mudcrab by size, sex, volume (CPUE), stage ofmaturity, and condition of habitat. The re-search data will be used to improve localordinances governing the management ofmudcrab stock in the province.

5. Problems Encountered

Several problems were encountered duringthe first year of implementation of theICDSA Project.


1) The “Scientist Box”Some SEAFDEC scientists are still ad-

justing from a laboratory-type research set-ting to “real life” community projects. Themind set of some scientists is still confinedto the rigid scientific methodology, some-thing not attainable in real life situations.Scientists need to get out of the “scientistbox” to be able to realistically addressfisherfolk needs that are immediate and con-crete.

2) Non-delivery of commitmentInstitutional partners, including

SEAFDEC, do not always deliver their partof the agreement—in kind or time. Such re-missions disrupt work schedules and causedelays that jeopardize the project.

3) Cynicism of beneficiariesPotential beneficiaries are cynical of

development projects, such as ICDSA, be-cause of past experiences where their expec-

tations were not met. Project participants,particularly the impoverished fisherfolk, ex-pect immediate and concrete economic re-turns for their effort. When this expectationis not met, the participants raise doubts onthe validity of the projects. This cynicismcauses lukewarm attitude and commitment.It will benefit the ICDSA Project to discussfrankly with the beneficiaries regarding theirexpectations at the onset of the Project. Fur-thermore, the role of the project beneficiar-ies should be clear to them so that they candeliver their part of the deal.

4) Risks: natural and technologicalAquaculture technologies may not al-

ways perform as projected due to many rea-sons; both controllable (inputs) and uncon-trollable (natural causes). These eventuali-ties should be factored into the financial pro-jections of the project using sensitivity analy-sis.

References

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Tenedero RA. Engineering and deployment of artificial reefs for a community-based fishery resource man-agement project at Mararison Island. In: ECOSET ’95. International Conference on Ecological SystemEnhancement Technology for Aquatic Environments. The 6th International Conference on AquaticHabitat Enhancement. Vol. II. Japan International Marine Science and Technology Federation, Tokyo,Japan. 1995; 640–645.

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