Iloilo releases 5,012 blue swimming crabs in Concepcion

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office released 5,012 juvenile blue swimming crabs into the coastal waters off Tago Island in Concepcion on July 16 as part of its continuing stock enhancement program.

The initiative seeks to replenish wild crab populations and support the sustainability of local fisheries in northern Iloilo.

The Provincial Agriculture Office’s Fisheries Division released blue swimming crab instars, or juvenile crabs, into the municipality’s coastal waters.

The activity also aims to strengthen marine resource management and help sustain future harvests.

Blue swimming crabs, locally known as kasag, are among the Philippines’ most commercially important aquatic resources.

The industry provides jobs and generates revenue for coastal communities and the national economy, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ national management plan.

The provincial government said the stock enhancement program supports the livelihoods of municipal fishers whose income depends on healthy crab populations.

Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has emphasized sustainable resource management as a key part of Iloilo’s long-term development agenda.

The approach seeks to balance environmental protection with economic opportunities for coastal communities.

The release is part of the provincial government’s continuing community-based fisheries development and coastal conservation initiatives.