USSEC  recently visited high value marine fish growers in the Philippines.   USSEC Consultants Levy Loreto Manalac, Philippines USSEC Technical Manager-Aquaculture, and Hsiang Pin Lan, USSEC Asia Marine Aquaculture Specialist, visited Santeh Feeds Corp., Marine Fish Cage Farm and Palawan Aquaculture Corp. to provide technical servicing and to address issues and concerns in marine fish culture, marine fish disease and health management programs.

Mr. Hsiang conducted a fish disease identification and fish dissection workshop at Palawan Aquaculture Corp.  The same seminar was also given to high value marine fish growers and to the staff of government agencies in another province.  Mr. Hsiang discussed the latest developments and issues related to high value marine fish culture in ponds and cages, feeding management, disease prevention and health management and spoke about “USSEC High Value Marine Fish Program in Philippines.”  An industry representative presented the topic “Prospects of High Value Marine Fish Culture in the Philippines.”
Nestor D. Domenden, Regional Director of Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Fisheries Office, welcomed the participants and highlighted USSEC aquaculture activities in assisting the development of high value marine fish culture in the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.  This region has an existing area of 218 hectares for milkfish and marine fish culture.  With proper support, technical expertise, and a sufficient supply of fingerlings and feeds, the region could see an increase to more than 550 hectares.  Approximately 67 participants from the high value marine fish growers, aqua feed millers, hatcheries, fishery officers of various municipalities, staff and technicians of BFAR Region 1 attended the seminar.