This fish variety is a favorite among local and international chefs because of its juicy, white meat which proves very delectable whatever the cuisine. Grilled or steamed, the meat of this fish is succulent and delivers an explosion of mouth-watering goodness to any discriminating palate.
Cultured in the fish cages of PGLDN’s Mariculture Park, pompano is the choice because of its marketability and high return on investment potential, according to Provincial Agriculturist Letecia Ditucalan.
The tasty pompano is cultured and fattened using readily available commercial feeds. Production records reveal that in a six-month culture period, and using a 5x5x4 meter square cage with a stocking density of 2,500 fingerlings, it can produce more than 900 kilos of fully-grown pompano with an average body weight of 430 grams.
The pompano fingerlings is sourced from Alson’s Hatchery of Malapatan, Sarangani Province.
Prevailing prices of pompano in the local market range from P200 to P220 per kilo.
This fish culture project is an initiative of Governor Khalid Dimaporo. Lanao del Norte has the biggest mariculture park in Northern Mindanao with 1,372 hectares.
The mariculture zone is a joint collaboration between the government and the private sector, Mr Dimaporo explained.
This lucrative business venture is initiated by the government through the provision of basic infrastructure and policies while the business sector will pump in the needed capitalization to operate this new fish-culture technology.
"Eventually the impact of this mariculture park will be the generation of job opportunities for the people of Sultan Naga Dimaporo and a new means of livelihood for the people of Lanao del Norte," said Mr Dimaporo.
