River giant prawn hatchery now viable

Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor announced yesterday that a commercial hatchery operation involving the giant river prawn is now viable after researchers of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources succeeded in prolonging the life span of the crustacean during its larval stage.

The DA chief said with the success in BFAR’s research efforts, it is now possible for the prawn, scientifically named macrobrachium rosenbergii, popularly called ulang or kising-kising, to achieve a high of 70 percent average post larvae survival rate, from the previous record of 46 percent.

"This is definitely a research breakthrough considering that studies on culture of the prawn started in the Philippines 25 years ago," an obviously elated Montemayor said.

"With this technological success, it’s now possible for our farmers, aquaculture businessmen and hatchery operators to engage in commercial freshwater prawn production, ushering a new sub-sector in the shrimp and prawn industry," he added.

Montemayor said by applying a laboratory process focusing on modifying the prawn’s larval rearing procedure and providing proper nutrition, BFAR scientists at the National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, had been able to achieve the 70-percent post larvae survival rate in July 2001.

BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento said in line with the pro-poor Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program of the government under President Arroyo, the first batches of the "ulang" fry bred by his bureau has already been distributed to the private sector, particularly among farmers engaged in rice and fish culture.

"From the traditional rice and fish culture, we are helping farmers shift to rice and shrimp culture to enable them to increase their profitability and improve their living standards," he said.

The ulang, endemic in the Philippines, is one of three largest among 100 species in the world, the others being macrobrachium americanum and marcrobrachium carcinus.

The species had already been introduced in many countries and farmed commercially in Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Israel, Costa Rica, Zimbabwe and Mexico.

Economists said the breeding research breakthrough of the crustacean will diversify commodities used for freshwater. They pointed out that raising of the prawn in polyculture will likewise increase the yield of tilapia by 20 percent, giving additional income for growers.