INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 4, ISSUE 08, AUGUST 2015 ISSN 2277-8616 128 IJSTR©2015 www.ijstr.org Assessment Of Milkfish (Chanos Chanos) Fry Grounds In Catanduanes Province, Philippines Minerva I. Morales, Roberto B. Barba Jr. Abstract: The potential of the coastal waters of the province of Catanduanes, Philippines as milkfish (Bangus: Chanos chanos) fry ground for harnessing in commercial scale was assessed. Several stations in the eleven municipalities of Catanduanes were established as fry sampling stations. The period of occurrence was the months of March to August and the volume of catch in each station established was determined. Total catch may range from 100,000 to 500,000 per group of four (4) persons per month of occurrence. Volume of catch can significantly contribute to alleviate the short supply of fry for aquaculture industry in the country. Given the technology of identifying, catching, sorting, storing and marketing of milkfish fry, the study showed that gathering of fry as a livelihood is profitable in the stations identified during peak months. Index Terms: Bangus, Fry ground, milkfish fry, peak months, period of occurrence. ———————————————————— 1 INTRODUCTION he milkfish industry in the Philippines is as old as its history of aquaculture. Grow-out technology for milkfish is almost perfect through the joint efforts of the academe, fish farmers and scientist, both in the government, private and non-government organizations. Considering the enormous economic benefits obtained from mariculture technology of milkfish which can be cultured in brackish water ponds near coastal areas, large potential for income enhancement and employment can be generated for coastal communities (K. Sullivan, K. et al., 2007). In spite of these, the insufficiency in the supply of milkfish fry poses a perennial problem and hampers milkfish production efforts, thus, restraining the growth of the milkfish industry. Vulnerability of milkfish production is further aggravated by reduction in the productive areas, high cost of farm inputs and impact of climatic changes in aquaculture (Case Study Report, undated).The reported breakthrough in 1976 by Filipino scientist at SEAFDEC in Iloilo in the induced spawning of milkfish using hormonal injection did not assure the continuous supply of fry in the country. The Philippine National Bangus Breeding Program in thirteen stations all over the country, established in 1980, likewise did not provide the much needed supply of fry by the milkfish industry. Importation of bangus fry from neighbor countries like Taiwan has been resorted to by the fish farmers in the Philippines and has been reported to be going on for the past several years (March 16, 1995, Philippine Daily Inquirer). In recent decades, milkfish hatchery technology was transferred to the private hatcheries, especially in Panay Island (1995, Seafdec Annual Report). Dissemination of technology, however, is plagued by low rate of farmer adoption to be able to significantly contribute to the total milkfish production (The WorldFish Center, 2007). Meanwhile, the Bangus Fry Industry Task Force, a multi- agency organization was formed to prepare an action plan that will solve the milkfish fry shortage in the country (1995, The PCARMRD Waves), but results have yet to be felt by the industry. Milkfish industry amidst all developmental efforts is still facing a general decline in total volume of production due to chronic shortage of milkfish fry. Data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) regional offices reported milkfish fry deficit in the country at 1,564,494,019 (SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture, 1995; table 1). Gathering of milkfish fry in Catanduanes is not a major source of livelihood. Considering, however, that Catanduanes, the twelfth largest island of the Philippines, is located along the Pacific Coast, southeast of the main island of Luzon, between 13.5 and 14.1 North Latitude and extends from 124.0 to 124.5 East Longitudes, bounded on the west by the Maqueda Channel, on the south by Lagunoy Gulf, and on the east by the Philippine Sea, with over fifty water tributaries and relatively dense mangal community which are nursery grounds of milkfish fry (Bagarinao, 1994; Kawamura, 1983), this highly sought-for commodity must be abundantly present in most of the coastal areas of province identified in this study. This study, therefore, evaluated the potential of the province as fry ground for commercial gathering, and as contributory livelihood for the people in the coastal barangays. The potential of the province as commercial milkfish fry grounds has been assessed so they can be harnessed, thus, alleviate the perennial shortage of milkfish fry in the Philippines. Specifically, the following were resolved in the study: 1.)identify and characterize milkfish fry grounds in Catanduanes; 2.) quantify the potential volume of and ascertain the period of occurrence of milkfish fry in Catanduanes, and 3.) introduce to the local fisherfolk milkfish fry gathering technology. 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 Reconnaissance Survey of the Area Using the map of the province of Catanduanes from NAMRIA (National Mapping and Resource Information Authority), milkfish fry grounds were identified and marked as sampling stations (see Figure 1). Sampling stations identified were coastal areas with freshwater outflow from a river or tidal creek, and near a mangal community within a proximity of fifty to two-hundred meters from the station. Twenty-eight (28) sampling stations were identified in the ten (10) municipalities of Catanduanes. ___________________________  Professor, Catanduanes State University, Virac, Catanduanes 4800. Instructor, College of Agriculture and Fisheries, Catanduanes State University Email-ad: robert_barba86@yahoo.com