CrabZero turns crab waste into green livelihoods

A landmark multi-institutional agreement was formalized at Citadines Hotel in Iloilo City as the Crabsolutely Zero research program, or CrabZero, signed a memorandum of agreement with its key implementing and collaborating partners.

The signing marked a major step toward building a circular economy model for crustacean waste valorization in the Philippines by linking scientific innovation to the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities.

CrabZero is a multi-institutional research program that seeks to convert blue swimming crab and other crustacean processing waste into high-value biomaterials, including chitosan, bioactive compounds, and sustainable packaging materials.

By redirecting waste that would otherwise burden coastal ecosystems, the program aims to create new economic opportunities for communities vulnerable to environmental degradation.

The agreement formalizes the roles and commitments of the program’s implementing institutions: the University of the Philippines Visayas Foundation Inc.; the University of the Philippines Visayas; the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute; and Northern Iloilo State University-Concepcion Campus.

The program’s collaborators are the Barangay Igbon Kasagaran Association, or BIGKAS, a community-based fisherfolk organization in Concepcion, Iloilo; the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 6; the local government of Concepcion, Iloilo; and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The event also served as a technical and financial monitoring activity.

Program leader Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap, a professor and vice chancellor for research and extension at UPV, presented an overview of the project’s goals, planned activities, fund utilization, and the official launch of the CrabZero project website.

“CrabZero is not just about what we can extract from waste, it is about what we can build from it. We are establishing a model that closes the loop between fisheries processing and our coastal community [livelihood], ensuring that the value generated from crustacean by-products flows back to the people who depend on the sea,” said Prof. Yap.

Central to the CrabZero approach is the direct involvement of coastal fishing communities in Concepcion, Iloilo, one of the country’s key blue swimming crab processing areas.

By working with BIGKAS, the program seeks to ensure that research outputs are grounded in local realities and that livelihood opportunities are built into the project design from the start.

Building on the ceremonial signing, the CrabZero program held its second day of activities April 24, 2026, at the Regional Research Center Function Hall on UPV’s Miagao campus.

The program brought together implementing partners and collaborators for activities covering institutional accountability, inclusive practice, and hands-on scientific immersion.

The morning session opened with financial reporting presentations from UPVFI and DOST-ITDI.

Both institutions presented their fund utilization reports, reinforcing the program’s commitment to transparent governance and responsible stewardship of public and European Union resources.

The financial reporting component also served as a technical monitoring activity to ensure that expenditures and resource allocation remain aligned with the objectives outlined in the agreement signed the previous day.

The morning session concluded with a Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion orientation facilitated by Myka Viernes, stakeholder dialogue adviser of GIZ Philippines.

The orientation guided program implementers on embedding gender-sensitive and inclusive practices throughout CrabZero’s research and community engagement phases.

Viernes emphasized that a program at the intersection of fisheries science and coastal community development must deliberately address the distinct needs, roles, and vulnerabilities of women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups.

She said this is especially important in the fishing communities of Concepcion, Iloilo, where CrabZero’s community-based work is centered.

The afternoon session shifted from the conference room to the laboratory as stakeholders toured UPV research facilities directly related to CrabZero’s scientific scope.

The tour covered the Regional Research Center; the Food, Feeds, and Functional Nutrition Laboratory; the Philippine Genome Center-Visayas; the Institute of Fish Processing Technology laboratories; and the Institute of Aquaculture Hatchery.

The laboratory tour gave implementing partners, collaborators, and monitoring representatives a closer look at the scientific infrastructure that will support CrabZero’s research outputs.

After two days of institutional, technical, and scientific engagement, CrabZero is moving forward with a formalized partnership structure, a gender-responsive implementation framework, and a shared understanding of the research capabilities needed to bring its circular economy vision from laboratory to coastline.

CrabZero is implemented under the broader framework of the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership, a priority program of the European Union in the Philippines.

The partnership promotes circular economy transitions while sustaining inclusive economic growth across Filipino communities.

The EU-PH Green Economy Partnership is funded by a PHP 3.67 billion, or EUR 60 million, grant from the European Union.

It is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, the European strategy for engaging with global partners and promoting investments in shared priorities, including the transition to a green economy.

Led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the EU priority program in the Philippines links European and Filipino partners from the private sector and local government to foster a circular economy while sustaining economic growth that benefits Filipinos.

The Policy and Alliances component of the program is co-funded by a EUR 12 million grant from the European Union and a EUR 1 million contribution from the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety.

The component is implemented by GIZ and the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau to support policy development and strengthen partnerships. (Rodmar Arduo)