USSEC participated in the quarterly Department of Agriculture (DA) – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 1 Fisheries Industry Forum for Stakeholders in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines on November 24. The meeting's objective was to share new technologies and information with aquaculture stakeholders to help improve their productivity and efficiency. The forum also aims to bring together fish farmers, aquaculture feed suppliers, and other farm input suppliers in one venue for business deals.
This meeting offered aquaculture stakeholders alternative species to culture in addition to milkfish, including high value marine fish such as sea bass, pompano, and grouper. It also offered a credit access program for fish farmers through the Development Bank of the Philippines.
The forum was attended by almost 150 participants from different fisheries stakeholders from government, academe, private fisheries stakeholders, aquaculture, processors and media in the Region 1. Various Philippine aqua feedmills including San Miguel Foods Inc., Feedmix Specialist, Santeh Feeds Corp., and Vitarich Corp. participated.