Tigbauan: An international aquaculture research center based in the municipality of Tigbauan in Iloilo is working to develop sustainable farming techniques for spiny lobster (Panulirus ornatus) and evaluate its viability as a livelihood for coastal fishers in the Philippines.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) has recognized the species, locally known as tiger lobster or banagan, for its potential to strengthen a high-value industry due to its high market demand and abundant seed resources in the country. SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao highlighted the existing practice of spiny lobster farming across the Philippine archipelago, which currently relies on the collection of pueruli and juveniles from the wild. These are then seeded into small-scale nursery and grow-out cages using traditional methods.
Baliao expressed the department's intention to standardize these informal practices into science-backed production models, focusing on recommendations for optimal stocking density, appropriate feeding schemes, and environmental management. Once these standardized rearing protocols are developed and verified, SEAFDEC/AQD plans to facilitate technology transfer through training and the establishment of sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities.
Currently, Guimaras has been identified as a natural source of wild seeds of spiny lobsters. SEAFDEC/AQD researcher Roselyn Baylon and her team have conducted environmental monitoring to study the local ecology and verified catch data through interviews with fishers. Experiments at the Igang Marine Station of SEAFDEC/AQD in Guimaras aim to determine the optimum stocking density and feeding practices in both nursery and grow-out phases of sea-based cage systems.
As part of the project, growth performance, survival, and socioeconomic analyses are also underway. Baylon noted that through experiments, key growth benchmarks for the spiny lobster have already been established, which are essential for achieving efficient production cycles. Dr. Leobert de la Pe±a, head of the SEAFDEC/AQD Research Division, stated that large-scale verification trials of the refined protocols will be conducted upon completion of the project.
