May 6, 2021. Over the past three decades, the seaweed industry of the Philippines was confronted and has successfully dealt various technical barriers to trade problems by actively collaborating with the government. In an effort to further help address the issues confronting the industry through the help of standards, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (DA-BAFS) commenced the revision of the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for Dried Raw Seaweeds (PNS/BAFPS 85:2012) and Code of Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP) for Seaweeds (PNS/BAFPS 208:2017).
As part of the standards development process, the field data gathering for the revision of PNS related to seaweeds was conducted on April 28-30, 2021 in Zamboanga City to gather technical and commercial information that will support the provision of the revised standards. The seaweed species being cultured in Zamboanga area are Kappaphycus striatum and K. alvarezii, locally known as “sakol” and “tambalang”, respectively. The activity was participated by DA-BAFS project managers and the Technical Working Group (TWG) members from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The group visited relevant seaweed associations, seaweed farms, and traders. The BAFS project managers documented and interviewed the seaweed farmers on the production practices of seaweed and the quality and specifications of RDS using the developed field data gathering form. ###
Figure 1 – Kappaphycus farming in floating (longline) method in Duhol Buhangin,
Arena Blanco, Zamboanga City.
Figure 2 – BAFS project managers and BFAR TWG members interviewed the Assalam Fisherfolk Association (left), Mampang Seaweeds Planters Association (middle),
and Agromar Enterprises (right).