Category: AGRICULTURE

Lobster production- part 3

Maintaining the pen and managing stock

Stocking Density

Select stocks that weigh at least 200-300 g each. Lobsters are carnivorous, thus, select fingerlings of the same size. Stock the pen during high tide by gently dropping the fingerlings into the water. Do not mix healthy juveniles with those that are molting or have just molted. The following stocking densities are recommended for the different compartments:

-rearing area – 150 pieces;

-nursery area- 160 pieces; and

-transition are – 150 pieces

 

Sanitation and protection.  One month after constructing the pen, remove any fouling organisms, crabs or flotsam which can damage the net.  Clean then et at least twice a month. Using coconut husk or nylon  scrub, remove barnacles and other debris to allow water movement inside the pen. Install kerosene-fuelled lamps along the perimeter to warm fisher folks of the presence of the enclosure, especially at night.

 

Shelter for the stock

Arrange old tires, bamboo tubes or rock piles inside the pen to provide shelter for the lobsters. Use coconut fronds to filter out too much sunlight.

 

Feeding the stock

Feed the stock twice a day (early morning and late afternoon) at 15-20 % of the aggregate body weight of the stock. Some fisher folks from coastal communities in Guimaras (la Paz, Sabang and Pandaraonan0 have been using sea urchins, trash fish like rays and sharks and other animal-based feed with good results. Monitor the growth of the lobsters at least twice a month to determine feed requirement and for record purposes.

 

Monitoring

Keep a record of activities and financial concerns to determine the status of the project/

 

Harvesting

Harvest the lobster six months after the first stocking. Oversized lobster weighing 1.5-2 kg are rarely bought. Harvest those that weigh at least 1 kg each. Do not harvest lobster that have just molted because they cannot withstand stress during  transport. Survival is high at 90 percent for lobsters that weigh at least 250 g. harvesting can be done as early as four months and as late as seven months. Always keep a weighing scale to determine the weight  of the lobsters.  Succeeding harvest can be done every month thereafter. The ideal time for harvesting is between 6:00 am to 8:00 am, or when the weather is particularly cloudy. Do not harvest when it rains because lobsters die when exposed to freshwater.

Buyer prefer live lobsters; therefore lobsters must be handled with utmost care. Wear a pair of  goggles or snorkel while harvesting by hand or harvest using a scoop net. Always use a box (at least 2 cubic ft) made of plastic weave or netting partially buoyed by bamboo tubes. Styrofoam or any other floater to keep t the harvested lobster in the water while the collection is on going.

 

Marketing

Contact buyers before harvesting. Deliver the live harvest immediately to avoid stress. Wrap the lobsters in paper cloth pre-soaked in seawater and place them inside Styrofoam boxes.

 

Sustainability

A lobster pen operator must source for lobster juveniles and feeds to sustain this livelihood activity.

Lobster production- part 2

Constructing the pen

Layout- using bamboo poles or stakes, mark the corners of an area measuring 5 m x 5m. Drive the main post into these points.

 

Staking – Bamboo, ipl-ipil and bakawan are good staking materials.

-Sharpen the ends of the stakes and drive those 2-3 ft deep into the laid out area.

-Leave enough length to attach the net and 1-2 ft gap between stakes.

-Strengthen the hold of the stakes by attaching onto them a pole or piece of wood horizontal to the base at a height of 2-3 ft.

– Repeat the process every 2-3 ft above the last level depending on the desired height of the pen and the point for strengthening the whole structure.

 

Installing the screen.  Inside the pen, dig a 1 ft deep canal around the perimeter to bury the bottom part of the net and prevent burrowing a species from escaping. At least, two persons are needed to install the screen,  one inside the pen and the other outside it. From the inside, secure the net onto the wall framework with bamboo strips tied vertically onto the horizontal bars with nylon twine (80 lbs)

 

Dividing the pen into compartments.  Divide the pen into three compartments:

-rearing area (15 sq m.)

-transition area (6 sq. m)

-nursery area (4 sq. m)

Follow the process for the layout, staking and installing the screen mentioned earlier. Use nets of larger mesh or bamboo strips to secure an additional compartment of at least 2 m for the molting stock.

 

Constructing the caretaker’s shed . in one corner of the site, construct a shed for the caretaker and fro the harvested stock before the latter is transported to the market. Use local roofing material such as nipa or cogon.

 

Continue reading “Lobster production- part 2”

Lobster production- part 1

Lobster Culture

By; the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

 

Lobster (Family Homaridae) commands a higher price than other crustacean species such as shrimps and crabs. The common spiny lobsters are in demand both in the local and export market because of their delicate flesh. They are bought live and each weighs between 500 g – 1kg.

 

The spiny lobster has a hard shell, stalked eyes, four pairs of legs and a pair of antennae below the eyes. Unlike the common species, spiny lobsters do not have large claws. However, they have a pair of hand like appendages used to hold food. In guimaras, Philippines, the most common species are the ornate tropical rock lobster or tiger lobster (Panuliris ornatus); green lobster (Jasus verreauxi) and the Southern rock lobster or pulahan (Jasus novaehollandiae).

 

Fisher folks gather lobster from reefs at shallow  depths at nigh using kerosene-fueled lamps (lampara) and pole nets or gill nets. During the day, lobsters are speared or caught by air compressors. Fisher folks from Guimaras harvest tropical rock lobsters from wild stock. During the peak season, they could harvest about 50-80 kg per week valued at 800.00 pesos per kg. Lobsters are successfully cultured in Zamboanga and Guimaras, Philippines.

 

Lobster culture in Pens

Lobster culture has been done in cages, concrete ponds and sea farm pens in Singapore, Thailand, Australia and recently, in the southern Philippines. The most conventional design is the cubical pen measuring at least 5 m x 5 m x 4-6 m framed by wood or bamboo and strengthened at the corners by big poles.

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Talaba farming – Oyster Production

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Introduction

Oysters have been gathered from the wild for food long before scientific farming of the organism began. This bivalve is considered as one of man’s most nearly balanced natural food. It is a cheap source of protein and contains substantial quantities of all minerals and vitamins essential to the human diet. About 18% of the protein requirement, more than 50% of calcium and phosphorus, and all iodine and iron needed by an adult Filipino can be supplied by 200g of oyster meat. Aside from its edible portion, the shells of oysters are also used as raw materials for poultry and cattle feeds, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and concrete products. Moreover, these can be recycled as cultches for collecting seeds. Other minor by-products include novelty items and ornaments

 

Site Selection

During culture period the oyster suffer from high mortality due to freshwater run-off brought about by heavy precipitation, adverse weather condition and abundance of fouling organism that are sometimes observed on collectors even prior to attachment of spats. These are some of the risks in oyster farming and to avoid these problems. It is necessary to conduct proper site selection for oyster cultivation. In general, a viable oyster farming ground should have the following characteristics:

  • Water depth should ne 1.5-2.5m for traditional and at least 5.0m for non-traditional culture methods.
  • Water salinity level is about 17-20 ppt and water temperature from 27-32 °C for faster growth.
  • The area is not subjected to excessive flooding/freshwater run-off, which causes as mortality
  • The site must be protected from strong currents and big waves. There should however, be moderate current for good water exchange to prevent build-up of decaying materials
  • The site must be non-shifting or soft and muddy bottom to minimize siltationOyter beds should be free from predators and other natural enemies (borers, starfishes, crabs, etc.)
  • Therse should be adequate cheap materials for cultch bamboo and empty oyster shells for spat collection.
  • Presence of indigenous species of spawners to ensure adequate seed supply
  • Materials for the farm structures should be readily available in the areaSite should be accessible and near to market outlets.

 

Culture Techniques

Four methods of oyster culture are practised in the Philippines; broadcast (sabong), stake (tulos), lattice and hanging (bitin, sampayan, horizontal, and tray) methods.

Broadcast (“sabog”) method. The broadcast method is the most simple and primitive method and it is adopted in areas with firm enough bottoms to support the collectors. Empty oyster shells, stones, logs and tin cans are scattered over the selected area where natural setting occurs. Oyster spats are grown to the commercial size on the collectors. The advantage of the method is the low investment required, whereas the major disadvantages are that it can be used only in coastal areas with firm bottoms and shallow waters, high mortalities due to silt and predation, and difficulty in harvesting.

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