SEAFDEC/AQD’s collaboration with Philippine government agencies and its construction of new research infrastructure took the spotlight during the 31st Philippine Technical and Administrative Committee (PTAC) meeting held in Quezon City, Philippines on 19 November 2024.

  The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC), a regional treaty organization that promotes sustainable fisheries among its 11 member countries, welcomed the new deputy chief of its Aquaculture Department (AQD) based in Iloilo last Oct. 20, 2020. Dr. Sayaka Ito, a Japanese scientist with expertise in aquatic conservation biology, replaced fellow Japanese Dr. Koh-ichiro Mori who served as the Deputy Chief from April 2018 to June 2020 in this organization that is mandated to conduct scientific research to generate aquaculture technologies, develop skilled manpower for the aquaculture sector, and disseminate aquaculture information. Upon endorsement by the Government of Japan, SEAFDEC Secretary-General Malinee Smithrithee appointed Dr. Ito to a 2-year term from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2022 wherein …

To enhance the capacity of local high school science teachers, a training on research methodology and technical writing was organized with funding support from the Government of Japan.

External evaluators applauded the Japan-funded studies of SEAFDEC/AQD presented during the “2017 Annual Progress and Planning Meeting on the Promotion of Sustainable Aquaculture and Resource Enhancement in Southeast Asia,” on 9 February 2018.

Japan’s Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries together with Japanese Fisheries Agency officers was in AQD on 28 June 2014

SEAFDEC/AQD organized the international training, with funding support from the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF), to enable Southeast Asian countries to initiate resource enhancement activities or improve their current programs.

SEAFDEC/AQD’s projects under the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF) were evaluated during the Annual progress meeting held 29 January in Tigbauan, Iloilo.

AQD studies implemented under the Government of Japan Trust Fund were evaluated 12-13 February 2014 in Tigbauan, Iloilo

“In behalf of the Government of Japan, I would like to express my sincere respect to all the activities conducted by AQD researchers,” said Mr. Tetsuya Murakami during the Annual progress meeting of the program under the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Consultative group mechanism funded by the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF) in SEAFDEC/AQDheld 12-13 February.

SEAFDEC/AQD and the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF) conducted the “International seminar on environment - friendly aquaculture and stock enhancement in Southeast Asia” on 3 December at AQD’s main station in Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines.

AQD’s projects under the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF) were evaluated during the Annual progress meeting held 8-9 February in Tigbauan, Iloilo.

On 1 December 2001, SEAFDEC/AQD and the Government of Japan Trust Fund (GOJ-TF) hosted the International seminar on environment-friendly aquaculture & stock enhancement in Southeast Asia and concluded the International training course on community-based freshwater aquaculture for remote rural areas of Southeast Asia.

SEAFDEC/AQD organized two on-site training on mud crab culture and fish health management in Myanmar and Lao PDR, respectively. The mud crab training was held from 26 September to 1 October; while fish health training was conducted from 11-14 October. Both training were funded by the Government of Japan Trust Fund.

Seven participants completed the International Training Course on Community-Based Freshwater Aquaculture for Remote Rural Areas in Southeast Asia, held at SEAFDEC/AQD’s Binangonan Freshwater Station on 13-27 November 2024.

The course ran from 17 June to 23 July 2024. It was attended by four participants from the Philippines, two from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and one each from Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Cambodia.

A prized jewel lies hidden beneath the shimmering and pristine waters of Molocaboc Island, the donkey’s-ear abalone, a kind of marine snail known for its unique shell form that resembles the ear of a donkey.

Ma. Junemie Hazel Lebata-Ramos PhD (Ocean Sciences) Expertise: Mollusks (abalone, oysters, etc.), mangroves Email: jlebata@seafdec.org.ph Ma. Junemie Hazel L. Lebata-Ramos joined the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) in 1993 as Technical Assistant I and rose to the ranks until she became a Senior Scientist in 2024. She was designated as Head of the Department’s Research Division from August 2013 to April 2015 and Head of the Training and Information Division from April 2015 to September 2017. Her past and present research works include studies on the biology, ecology, assessment, and rehabilitation of mangroves; biology, ecology, assessment, stock enhancement and culture of mollusks (abalone, oyster, giant clam, angelwing clam, and toothless lucine) and crustaceans (Scylla spp. and penaeid …

Seeing the tremendous potential in slipper lobster production, researchers at SEAFDEC/AQD embarked on the task of developing hatchery techniques in the Philippines.

To surmount the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, SEAFDEC/AQD migrated its Marine Fish Hatchery (MarFish) training course online and conducted a first session last 14–29 June 2021.

AFFORDABLE and sustainable feed ingredients for fish farmers are in the works as researchers continue to develop fish diet formulations using discarded agricultural wastes and byproducts. Dr. Frolan Aya, a scientist at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD), and his colleagues examined agricultural wastes and byproducts for potential inclusion in diets formulated for omnivorous fish such as Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in their study, “Potential use of agricultural wastes in aquafeed production.” Fruit peels, pulps or brans, seeds, bagasse (sugarcane residue), molasses, and okara (soybean curd residue) comprise 40 to 60 percent of wastes generated from major crop industries such as coconut, banana, pineapple, mango, citrus, and sugarcane. While these agri-wastes have found some use as organic …