The Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Kababaihan at Mangingisda ng Sitio Bucana (SNKMB) conducted a stocking of 100,000 white-leg shrimp or Litopenaeus vannamei fry in an intensive aquaculture farm located in Sitio Bucana, Brgy, San Jose, Roxas Oriental Mindoro last February 7, 2022. The pre-stocking was conducted in collaboration with the Municipal Agriculture Office of LGU-Roxas in coordination with DA-BFAR which provided the stocks for free.
This aquaculture project is funded through DOST’s Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program. Through the CEST Program, SNKMB established a Solar-Powered Intensive Aquaculture Facility which was inaugurated last November 26, 2021. The facility features a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology that filters and cleans the water for recycling in the circular tanks for the whole duration of the culture period. Unlike conventional or earthen ponds, the DOST-assisted aquaculture farm is equipped with specialized modular circular concrete tanks, automated aeration, and filtration systems.
The white shrimp fry pre-stocked in the facility are due for culture for the next four months. With this, fisherfolks are expected to have an alternative source of income during lean months or when severe weather conditions occur in the area. It also aims to provide the community with more accessible shrimp products at an affordable price.
SNKMB will closely monitor and manage the facility with the assistance of Agritektura Enterprises, one of DOST-MIMAROPA’s assisted beneficiaries of the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP). Agritektura Enterprises employs the RAS technology in an aquaculture farm, also located in Roxas.
This CEST initiative intends to inspire and encourage more stakeholders in the fishery sector to adopt this aquaculture technology.
