The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST - PCAARRD) has now downloaded funding assistance of P9.5M to Cagayan State University (CSU) – Aparri Campus for the technology teansfer project called “Adoption of Improved Hatchery – Nursery Culture System for Commercial Production of Mangrove Crab Seedstock in Buguey, Cagayan” with Dr. Quirino Pascua, Dean of the College of Fisheries as the project leader.
Said project was defended to the governing board of DOST by President Urdujah Alvarado and representatives from LGU Buguey as they expressed their commitment and support to sustain the operation of the project once it is turned over to them by CSU in 2025.
The project, which will run for two years, aims to launch the technology on a commercial-scale mangrove crab hatchery-nursery system to maintain a reliable supply of mangrove crab seedstocks in the municipality of Buguey.
The proposed hatchery, according to Dr. Pascua, is “expected to supply 2.22% of the total demand for crablets in the province per year, eventually contributing an estimated increase in volume of mangrove crab production of 0.002% (regional) and 66.94 (municipal) equivalent to 60MT valued at PhP 27 million per year.”
Through the project, CSU Aparri assures that mangrove crab hatchery-nursery-grower operators in Buguey will not depend anymore on seedstocks from the wild. Further, it will pave more opportunities not just for local mangrove crab grow-out farmers, fisherfolks, and stakeholders but also for realizing a sustained mangrove crab industry in the municipality, and eventually, for its neighboring towns, and the region.
DOST – PCAARRD is a sectoral council of DOST that formulates policies, plans, and programs for science and technology – based research and development initiatives in agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sectors.