Two new tilapia strains developed

Two new improved tilapia strains have been bred by government researchers.

They have been named "Excel Tilapia" for their excellent performance, the new breed being larger, tastier and faster-growing than those currently being raised in the country.

Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) said the two new tilapia strains were products of genetic enhancement studies and cross breeding undertaken at the BFAR research centers in Dagupan City and in the Science City of Muñoz (Nueva Ecija), Sarmiento predicted that upon the introduction of Excel Tilapia in the industry, the current agriculture production figure would be doubled or tripled as its culture period is shorter, allowing at least four croppings per year compared to the three croppings done presently in most tilapia farms.

Dr. Melchor Tayamen, director of the BFAR National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center in Muñoz who developed the Excel Tilapia, explained that the new strain has been proven to be 38 percent better than the existing tilapia strain now in the market in taste, yield and growth.

He added that the new strain was a progeny of the world-renowned Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia (GIFT) strain and three others of the Nile tilapia.

The Excel Tilapia has already passed the scrutiny of the science community and has been pretested in different environments such as in fish cages, fishponds and communal waters.

Westly Rosario, chief of the BFAR center in Dagupan City, reported that the Molobicus tilapia hybrid could withstand up to 26-35 parts per thousand (ppt) salinity.

It was produced from the combination of the dominant traits of Oreochromis niloticcus known for its fast growth and O. mossambicus known for its resistance to salinity. – Rudy A. Fernandez