“AQD is doing a huge amount of work with good results.” – JTF manager

By Development Communication Section

“Go ahead and continue; the Philippine and Japanese governments will support you,” over-all GOJ-TF fund manager and SEAFDEC Deputy Secretary-General Mr. Hajime Kawamura said during the 2013 annual progress meeting of the programs under the ASEAN-SEAFDEC consultative group mechanism funded by the Government of Japan-Trust Fund (GOJ-TF).

The panel of evaluators who reviewed the progress of 28 studies included Dr. Yukio Maeno of Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Zubaida Basiao of University of the Philippines Diliman, Dr. Carlos Baylon of the University of the Philippines Visayas and Dr. Joselito Somga of the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The meeting was chaired by AQD co-trust fund manager and Deputy Chief Dr. Teruo Azuma.

The GOJ-TF regional program at AQD is entitled Promotion of sustainable aquaculture and resource enhancement in Southeast Asia which comprised the following four projects: (1) sustainable aquaculture – e.g. selective breeding of mud crab, tiger shrimp and giant freshwater prawn; (2) resource enhancement – e.g. monitoring of wild sandfish stock and managing released abalone stocks within Sagay Marine Reserve in Molocaboc, Negros Occidental; (3) fish health – e.g. identifying the fish health status and needs in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Philippines; (4) food safety – e.g. assessing the withdrawal period of antibiotics (oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid) in grouper.

As this is the last year of GOJ-TF’s fifth cycle of programs, Dr. Kawamura advised AQD to prepare specific plans based on the evaluation of the entire GOJ-TF 5 activities which was done in Bangkok, Thailand 25-26 February. The new proposals will cover the sixth cycle which will run from 2015 to 2019.