AQD teams up with community-partners

SEAFDEC/AQD teams up with the village resource management council of Molocaboc in Sagay, Negros Island, Philippines for a new project on the culture of abalone (Haliotis asinina) and seaweed (Gracilaria). AQD Deputy Chief Dr. Teruo Azuma together with AQD technical assistants Mr. Rafael Barrido and Mr. Kenneth Tibubos visited the area 11-12 August to discuss the flow of technology transfer and assess the site for abalone-seaweed culture. The project aims to encourage the management council to establish sustainable resource utilization to secure the people’s livelihood. It is also one of AQD’s regional projects funded by the Government of Japan Trust Fund.

Meanwhile, happy with three successful marine sanctuaries under its belt, the local government unit (LGU) of San Joaquin, Iloilo, Philippines inaugurated twelve more on 16 August. They invited SEAFDEC/AQD Deputy Chief Dr. Teruo Azuma and Associate Scientist Dr. Jon Altamirano to grace the sanctuaries’ launching and blessing. It may be recalled that SEAFDEC/AQD has been working closely with LGU-San Joaquin on the research projects “Stock enhancement of giant clams Tridacna sp.” and “Coral study on the effects of global warming on their growth and survival”.  These two projects are funded by AQD and LGU-San Joaquin.