Fish is abundant in the Philippines and is the cheapest source of protein, thanks to advances made in aquaculture or fish farming. Aquaculture is contributing significantly to food security, livelihood, and economy. It involves raising seaweeds, milkfish, tilapia, shrimp, oysters and mussels in tanks or enclosures, ponds, pens, cages and open coastal waters.
The government is encouraging farmers to venture into fish farming owing to the unpredictable weather disturbances in the country. Fish catch, particularly in municipal and commercial fisheries, have been affected by the erratic weather conditions. Many areas are flooded annually during the monsoon season as water flows through rivers, lakes, dikes, and dams. This provides a range of habitats for cultivated fish species.
Filipino farmers and entrepreneurs venture in aquaculture and maximize the use of available land as alternative source of income. For many people in rural areas, small-scale fish farming is an opportunity to generate income and is a source of protein-rich food all year round.
Fish farming is a viable, sustainable, and profitable business that will not only help ensure more fish supply for the country, but will help farmers, especially in far-flung villages, find alternative source o income to improve their families' living conditions.
