Tigbauan and Oton: Reviving the kapis industry Item Type article Authors Aldon, Eva T. Download date 29/09/2021 20:03:07 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35077 T ubungan: SFRs in Tigbauan and Oton: reviving the kapis action ind ustry By ET Aldon By ET Aldon Small freshwater reservoirs (SFRs) help the Mayor Myrna Torres kept wondering why mudcrab culture in mangroves in landlocked town of Tubungan achieve its SEAFDEC/AQD has been helping other Baguingin -- are to be started soon. food security agenda. Ingenious towns but not Tigbauan where it lies. And Tigbauan has been actively participat­ Tubunganons raise tilapia and catfish in so in June this year, she wrote AQD Chief ing in the yearly coastal clean up drive be­ these SFRs. The same water is used to irri­ Dr. Rolando Platon to request technical as­ ing initiated by AQD in collaboration with gate ricelands downhill. sistance in aquaculture which Tigbauan is the International Marine Alliance. The "By now, about considering as LGU has also been holding regular meet­ 26 SFRs are livelihood op­ ings of barangay captains and municipal ag- operational in tion. "This is T u b u n g a n . 19 part of my SEAFDEC/AQD's Dan Baliao shows Mayor more are still commitment to Carina Flores of Oton a kapis shell bloodstock being devel­ my constitu­ that came from AQD's research laboratories oped," Mayor ents," she G o r g o n i o wrote. In no time, AQD be­ Mayor Gorgonio Talledo Talledo said. "I Mayor Myrna Torres of of Tubungan: concern on am targeting Tigbauan: seeking closer gan collaborat­ food security for his 100 S F R s collaboration with ing with the constituents is utmost which I hope to SFAFDEC/AQD LGU on reviv­ achieve given ing the k a p is the funding. We're glad that SEAFDEC/ (window-pane oyster) beds which used to AQD is just near to help us in our abound in the area. The mayor and her aquaculture venture." councilors were present during the ceremo­ Mayor Talledo is quite fortunate that nial stocking of kapis breeders in Barangay he has receptive and responsive people Namucon. Namucon fishers gathered to under him. He said his townfolks are co­ witness the stocking, and they were briefed operative because they badly need addi­ about the project and the importance of en­ tional income to cope with the rising prices vironmental protection and conservation. of prime commodities. Tubungan has To ensure that the kapis breeding site mostly land farmers and is practically void remains undisturbed. Mayor Torres reacti­ of fish culture know-how. Farmers' train­ vated the Bantay Dagat (sea patrol team). ing on fish culture has been hands-on. Recently, she gathered trawlers to remind Mayor Talledo also actively advocates them to keep away from the breeding site. environmental education for his constitu­ The fishers had promised to do so. ents. He regularly warns residents about the Aside from the Namucon site, Mayor adverse effects of using pesticide on the Torres has also put into place akapis breed­ ecosystem. He abhors the bad habits of ing project in Buyuan. Her interest in some rice farmers who use the rivers to aquaculture as an alternative livelihood wash their pesticide equipment. "You does not stop there. Three other projects — should be aware that you are killing living grouper culture in tanks in Barangay organisms including fishes that thrive in the Tanpael, siganid culture in Linubayan and river!" he would tell the farmers. Education will make people under­ stand environmental issues better, he fur­ A sign off the Iloilo-Antique highway ther said. ### showing the way to the kapis reseeding site in Tigbauan 18 SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XXI No. 6 December 1999 aquafarm news • LGUs and aquaculture riculture and fishery officers to discuss legislations on coastal resources manage­ Dumangas: site of SEAFDEC/AQD's ment. Mayor Torres is pleased that the Fish­ newest pond facility eries Code of 1998 gives the local govern­ ment units complete jurisdiction over mu­ nicipal waters and holds them responsible for the management of fishery and aquatic By E T A l d o n resources within their municipal waters. Being chosen as the site of AQD's Brackishwater Station is said to be the best In Oton, on the other hand, Mayor Carina thing that ever happened to Dumangas. This Flores has had the impression that AQD is was according to Mayor Rolando Distura only helping pond owners and big fishers. who recently received a certificate of ap­ She wondered why AQD's involvement in preciation from AQD for supporting its towns nearest its headquarters has been goals and objectives. pursued only recently. But just the same, The LGU of Dumangas and AQD are she said, she and the people of Oton are currently collaborating on a catfish breed­ just as happy as the other beneficiaries of ing and culture project. AQD. Mayor Distura has also been encour­ The ceremonial stocking of ka p is aging his constituents who are oyster/m us- shells in Trapiche, Oton had the most sel growers to use the AQD technology of number of fishers attending. Enthusiastic growing oysters/mussels in floating rafts. fishers flocked around the lady mayor and He has noticed that the stake method cur­ AQD's project head Dan Baliao and lis­ rently being used is resulting in naviga­ tened how they could help bring back the tional and siltation problems along the AQD celebrated the first year anniversary of abundance of kapis shells in Oton. Aware Dumangas coastline. its Dumangas Brackishwater Station on of the fisheries code and local legislations, M ayor D istura’s concerns on the envi­ October 16 by honoring its collaborators, Captain Pablo Guevarra, other DA officials ronment is also evident in his continuous including Mayor Rolando Distura of and Mayor Flores explained how the breed­ push for community-based coastal resource Dumangas ing site will be protected from trawlers and management. ### intruders. The place, Mayor Flores said, will be declared a fish sanctuary and that AQD's vision of reengineering the intensive shrimp pond to become an essentially zero dis­ other measures to ensure its protection will charge system will be first tested in its Dumangas ponds. AQD will use a series of biological be implemented. filters -- seaw eeds, molluscs, fishes — to absorb most of the organic output of shrimp and recycle Mayor Flores also exhorted the fish­ the pond water to reduce pressure on local resources ers to do their share in protecting not only the kapis breeders but other coastal re­ sources where they get their living. "There's not much left anymore of our coastal re­ sources because of our negligence. Let’s put our acts together to protect what is left un­ til we eventually bring back the abundance of the marine resources that we used to enjoy." The Oton town officials are still con­ sidering other aquaculture ventures that they will try with the help of AQD. The kapis breeders that the tw o towns have stocked in their coastal waters come from AQD's research laboratories. AQD started breeding the kapis shell (Placuna p la cen ta ) in the early '90s. ### SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Vol. XXI No. 6 December 1999 19.