PSA-Negros Occidental Agricultural Center Chief Joely Cabarles said the province has almost 8,500 hectares for aquaculture with milk fish (bangus) as the biggest producted, followed by tilapia, and other products.
The aquaculture production trend in the province is increasing, Mr Cabarles said, adding that the sector plays a vital role in the fishing industry for it covers up the low production of captured species from the sea especially during storms and weather disturbances, reports SunStar.
Moreover, the agency recorded a slight decrease on the production of aquaculture species during the onslaught of several typhoons like Egay and Hanna, but was able to immediately recover, Mr Cabarles said.
“The province has not experienced shortage of fish products in the market, except only inadequate supply of some species because of various factors, mainly bad weather,” he said.
With the full impact of El Niño that is expected in the later part of the year, the aquaculture industry may also be affected, but not that bad, Mr Cabarles noted.
Meanwhile, PSA said that production of prawn, one of the aquaculture species produced in the province, has been slowly increasing.
Records show that currently, the prawn production in Negros Occidental is below 10 per cent compared to the previous years.
It is mainly associated, aside from diseases like white spot, to fewer aqua farmers in the province that are inclined towards prawn production, Mr Cabarles said.
