Establishment of crab hatcheries in Bataan seen

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – A seminar on hatchery-bred crablets for grow-out farms in the province with scientists as resource persons was held here on Friday.

Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) Office of Extension Services Director Dr. Hermogenes Paguia said the seminar, attended by local fishpond operators, aimed for the establishment of crab hatcheries in the province.

According to data provided by the Provincial Agriculture Office, Bataan ranks second in the country in producing crabs. The office also said local fishpond operators still have to get crablets for their farms outside the province.

BPSU Vice President for Research, Extension, and Auxiliary Services Rudy Flores and Paguia expressed confidence that the seminar will finally lead to the establishment of crab hatcheries in the province.

Scientists and fishery officials discussed the following topics: Overview of the Crab Industry; Status of the Mud Crab Industry in the Region; Broodstock Management and Larvae Rearing of Mud Crab; Nursery Management of Mud Crab; Mud Crab Culture in Grow Out Farms; Polyculture of Mud Crab in Region 3; and Soft-shell Crab Production.

BFAR Region 3 Director Willy Cruz personally joined the seminar. BPSU President Greg Rodis extended full support to the staging of the activity. The seminar was conducted through the collaborative efforts of BPSU, BFAR 3, and PCAARRD.