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CATARMAN - AN AQUASILVICULTURE PROJECTWhile passing over the Tagibian bridge in Barangay Bangkerohan, towards the town of Catarman N. Samar, I noticed a bamboo walkway to an Aquasilviculture Project. It looked potentially interesting, so I walked along the riverbank to a crab nursery. The local superintendant was very helpful, but unfortunately no crabs could be seen, because during the previous days it had rained heavily, and the river water was very muddy. I understand that megalopae (post larvae) stage mud crabs are produced by the fisheries section of UEP (University of the Eastern Philippines ). They are transferred about 21 days after hatching to a mangrove pen here. The feeds used in mud crab nurseries are varied and can include minced trash fish and shrimp meat, small bivalves and gastropods, and commercial feeds for marine shrimp. In the nursery phase the megalopae (first stage crablets) are grown to sizes acceptable to grow-out farmers in other locations about 52 days after hatching. There they are fattened for about one to two months. When I go visit Catarman again, I might call in and try to get some pictures of the crablets in clearer water (and check my facts). |
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