Did you know that Filipino researchers have already developed tilapia strains that can be produced in both brackish waters and estuarine environments?
The University of Visayas of the Philippines (UPV), with the strong support of the Philippine Council for Research and Development of Agricultural, Aquatic and Natural Resources of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), has developed the UPV Saline Tolerant Population. Nilotica tilapia strain (SPIN).
This strain is designed to thrive in brackish waters and estuaries to prevent mass mortality from saltwater (saltwater) intrusions, caused by emerging seawater levels, in tilapia production areas.
An estuary is a domain where a freshwater river or stream meets the ocean. In estuaries, the salty ocean mixes with a freshwater river, giving rise to brackish water. Brackish water is salty, but not as salty as the ocean, according to National Geographic. . org said.
For years, tilapia has been one of the country’s most important fish and a significant contributor to the national economy.
In addition, tilapia is the largest fish species produced in aquaculture in the Philippines with a total production of 281,114 tons, valued at 24,260 million pesos in 2021.
However, the tilapia industry is lately showing minimal or slow growth, with an average annual production rate of 0. 82 between 2012 and 2021.
The downward trend in production is attributed to congested and saturated production systems in lakes and cages.
For example, tilapia catches in freshwater lakes and fish ponds appear to have reached their maximum capacity.
Declining water quality due to poorly controlled production and eutrophication (excessive expansion of plants and algae) of rivers and lakes are also points related to declining tilapia production.
To advance commercial production, tilapia farming expands to estuarine and brackish coastal areas.
Brackish water ponds and estuarine water cages have been found to have great potential for expansion and expansion of tilapia farming.
In addition to UPV SPIN, two strains of saline-tolerant tilapia have been developed in the Philippines: Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Selected Brackish Water Enhanced Tilapia (BFAR-BEST) and BFAR-Molobicus strains.
For the expansion and productive functionality of salinity-tolerant tilapia strains evolved in the Philippines in other saline and brackish water ecosystems, the UPV is carrying out a project of experimental studies, “Field Testing and Performance Assessment of the Saline-Tolerant Philippine Tilapia Strain Grown in Different Geographic Areas. It is also funded through the PCAARRD-DOST.
The task aims to identify the ideal Philippine tilapia strains for brackish waters and high-salinity coastal and river ecosystems.
The results of the studies imply that the tilapia strains UPV SPIN and BFAR BEST showed faster expansion and greater survival in brackish water, high-salt pond rearing systems, and in brackish water estuarine ponds.
These strains reached a harvestable length of 250 grams in about a hundred days of cultivation.
On the other hand, UPV SPIN showed the most productive expansion functionality in estuarine cage culture sites, compared to the other two tilapia strains.
The Philippines, being an archipelago, is surrounded by a wide expanse of brackish estuarine waters.
Its new water is used only for the cultivation of inland water resources, but also for household needs, catchment and agricultural irrigation.
Due to the limited capacity to use freshwater and to mitigate the depletion of aquatic materials for aquaculture, tilapia aquaculture is expected to increase production in brackish and estuarine waters.
But this is only imaginable through the use of saline or salt-tolerant strains.
This initiative is expected to expand the quality and production of tilapia.
The adoption of the generation of UPV SPIN strains in brackish water cages has remarkable merit over farmed marine fish.
Thanks to cost-effective fingerling production technology, as well as reduced technical needs in tilapia farming operations, it is highly available to small-scale coastal fishers.
It eliminates the need for significant investments and highly professional technicians to manage aquaculture operations, ensuring economic benefits for coastal and estuarine communities.
Rizza B. Ramoran/Media Services S
Enter your search and press Enter.