'Pangasius,' the new darling of CV's aquaculture industry

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Move over tilapia (Saint Peter’s fish) and hito (catfish), here comes the pangasius.

Known as ‘white meat fish” among chefs, the pangasius is now quickly becoming the darling of the country’s aquaculture industry due to its taste, texture and profitability.

Many farmers in the region have now come to appreciate the practicality of raising the highly rated pangasius, as promoted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

A type of catfish that originated in Vietnam, the pangasius is relatively easy to raise and propagate, as it does not need special feeds, compared with other known freshwater fish species.

“Having a taste and texture comparable to the priced salmon and Alaskan pollack, pangasius is a common entry in the menus of classy food chains,” said Dr. Jovita Ayson, BFAR-Cagayan Valley director.

Farmer Cesario Manuel was able to harvest at least 1,500 kilos of pangasius from his 406-square meter fishpond. According to BFAR, this easily translates into sales of at least P90 per kilo at farmgate prices, or in Manuel’s case, P135,000 in gross sales.

Based on Manuel’s experience, the pangasius stocks in his three fishponds grew rapidly that he was able to sell the fully grown pangasius in a very short time, as compared to raising tilapia or bangus.

“The pangasius project is one way to attain higher fish sufficiency for the region,” said Dominador Abalos, BFAR’s aquaculture consultant.

The cost of raising pangasius, he said, can be reduced as the fish can be fed with indigenous diet such as vegetables and fruit surplus and trimmings as well as kuhol and rice bran.