SEAFDEC/AQD boosts Northern Iloilo seaweed farming with improved seedlings

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SEAFDEC/AQD distributed 2.16 tons of tissue-cultured Kappaphycus alvarezii seedlings, known locally as “guso” or “tambalang,” to coastal communities in Northern Iloilo on 6 and 12 May to support seaweed farming and strengthen local livelihoods.

Beneficiaries in the municipalities of Concepcion, Ajuy, and San Dionisio received the seedlings grown for four months by SEAFDEC/AQD in Pandan, Antique. The plantlets used in Pandan originated from tissue cultures at the Seaweed Laboratory in Tigbauan, Iloilo.

Tissue-cultured seaweeds have been shown to be more robust and grow faster compared with cuttings repeatedly propagated from older stocks. With this advantage, seaweed harvests at Pandan reached about 1.05 tons on 6 May and another 1.11 tons on 12 May.

Among the recipient municipalities, Concepcion received 850 kilograms of planting materials for 85 beneficiaries from five barangays. Ajuy received 200 kilograms of seaweed for 23 farmers from two barangays.

San Dionisio received the largest allocation of 1.11 tons, shared  to 139 members from five seaweed growers’ associations.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Iloilo requested plantlets for seaweed growers in the northern towns and assisted with the distribution activities.

Jomar Arbigoso, barangay captain of Tiabas in San Dionisio, said seaweed farming has become an important livelihood source for many residents in their community.

“Okay man diri ang planting subong diri sang seaweeds. Ang aktibidades nga ini makabulig gid ni siya sa mga tao diri sa ila pangabuhi,” Arbigoso said. [The seaweed planting here is going well. This activity greatly helps the people in their livelihood.]

Seaweed farmer Simeon Luntao from San Dionisio also thanked the research center for reintroducing the Kappaphycus alvarezii variety in their area.

“Dugay na ni nga nadula sa amon. Ti subong basi magbalik, basi nga mas maayo pa gid ang amon mga production diri,” Luntao said. [It has long been lost in our area. Now, hopefully it will return, and our production here will improve even more]

SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao said the initiative reflects the department’s continuing commitment to helping coastal communities improve productivity and strengthen livelihood opportunities through science-based aquaculture technologies.

“We hope that through improved seaweed seedlings and continued collaboration with local stakeholders, more coastal communities will benefit from sustainable seaweed farming,” Baliao said.

The activity is part of a project, “Seaweed Production Using Tissue-Cultured Kappaphycus alvarezii Plantlets in Pandan, Antique,” being implemented by SEAFDEC/AQD in collaboration with the local government of Pandan and the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 6 (DA-BFAR 6).