PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR 2008 1 Planning for the project activities

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- The fishermen have general understanding of stock enhancement, having limited knowledge and requiring training on the principles of stock enhancement.

- According to the abalone trade, all sizes of abalone were harvested and traded. In principal, fishers, middlemen, and exporters acknowledge the importance of size-selective harvest, but fishers have urgent necessity of the market of all size for cash income due to lack of other livelihood options.

3.4. Training and information dissemination

- Training course for stock enhancement of threatened species was not planned in 2007 due to insufficient budget. An international training related to the objectives of this program (e.g.

training course of abalone hatchery) was implemented under other Trust Fund Program

“Promotion of Sustainable Aquaculture in the ASEAN Region”.

- Manual on giant clam hatchery, ocean nursery and stock enhancement was published.

- Seminar workshop on stock enhancement and aquaculture of tropical species was conducted at SEAFDEC/AQD on 22 Nov 2007, with partial financial support of the SEAFDEC Technical Support Group of Japan. Two Japanese and one Vietnamese experts in addition to 8 AQD experts were invited as the speakers. The seminar workshop was convened to highlight up-to-date achievements and provide a venue for the exchange of ideas and information on recent advances in seed production, stock enhancement and aquaculture of tropical species.

4. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR 2008

The Thirtieth Meeting of the SEAFDEC Program Committee, 26-28 November 2007

(9) Socioeconomic analysis of stock enhancement of abalone and giant clams in Sagay Marine Reserve in the Philippines

All year around

Abalone and giant clam

Socioeconomic study Training and information dissemination All year

around Activity 1: Workshop to Assess Existing Technology

No activity will be implemented in this category.

Activity 2: Research and Development on the Strategies of Sea Ranching and Stock Enhancement

(1) Conservation of seahorses Hippocampus barbouri, H. comes, H. kuda (SEAFDEC/AQD) In order to obtain sufficient amount of good quality seeds of seahorses aimed for stock enhancement, improvement of existing breeding techniques developed by AQD will be continued. The activities will include:

- Refinement of the management and feeding scheme for broodstock and larvae/fry to improve fry production technologies for stock enhancement;

- Assessment of suitable stocking sites for seahorses;

- Development of tagging techniques to monitor the fate of released stock; and - Release of hatchery-bred juveniles into natural conditions.

(2) Seed production for stock enhancement of humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulates

The humphead or Napoleon wrasse, Cheilinus undulates, is one of the largest and most valuable reef fish. It is considered threatened; hence, it is listed in the Appendix II of CITES in 2004. The breeding and artificial seed production technologies of this species will be developed in 2008;

- Broodstock management techniques will be developed, and studies on improvement of survival and growth of larvae/fry on day 0 – 14 will be started.

- Broodstock and juveniles will be collected, and growth performance will be studied under captive condition.

(3) Experimental release of hatchery-produced donkey’s ear abalone, Haliotis asinina, in Carbin Reef, Sagay Marine Reserve, Negros Occidental (SEAFDEC/AQD)

Hatchery-bred abalone juvenile will be released into cages in wild conditions to determine the growth and survival under the cage-condition (in Carbin Reef, Sagay Marine Reserve, Negros Occidental);

- To determine the growth rate of shell length and body weight of released abalone juveniles under cage conditions;

- To determine the survival of released abalone under cage conditions; and

- To monitor the shell length, body weight and survival of the released abalone into cages by a monthly sampling.

(4) Stock enhancement of the abalone, Haliotis asinina, in Sagay Marine Reserve (SEAFDEC/AQD) Hatchery-bred abalone will be released into natural conditions to assess the impact of released

abalone on the wild abalone population (in Carbin Reef, Sagay):

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- To release hatchery-reared abalone juveniles in the study site after monitoring wild abalone population;

- To conduct monthly monitoring of both wild and hatchery-reared H. asinina after the release; and

- To monitor growth and survival of released H. asinina

(5) Development of techniques for sea ranching of the donkey-ear abalone Haliotis asinina (SEAFDEC/AQD)

This study aims to develop a sustainable utilization and exploitation of natural marine resources through sea ranching of donkey-ear abalone in Nogas Island, Anini-y, Antique. To develop appropriate release strategy and proper harvest or recapture techniques, the following activities will be done in 2008:

- Hatchery-bred and marked juveniles will be released into natural conditions (in Nogas Island, Anini-y, Antique);

- Released abalone will be monitored for growth and density at monthly intervals;

- Harvesting will be done one year after release to develop proper harvest or recapture techniques (i.e. size, quantity or management techniques) that will sustain the enhanced fisher; and

- Initiation of development of appropriate release strategies (i.e. suitable size, stocking density or season) for sea ranching of abalone Haliotis asinine.

(6) Stock enhancement of sea cucumber Holothuria scabra (Research Institute of Aquaculture 3, Vietnam and SEAFDEC/AQD)

Studies on development of seed production method aimed for stock enhancement will be mainly implemented in Vietnam (RIA3). Information exchange of seed production technologies will be promoted between Vietnam and SEAFDEC/AQD.

- Nursery system in pond for bigger size for release will be refined.

- Suitable release strategies for stock enhancement of sandfish will be developed.

- Technology information exchange and training on stock enhancement of sea cucumber Holothuria scabra will be promoted.

(7) Fisheries and seed production of the angelwing clam Pholas orientalis for the rehabilitation of depleted wild stock

This high demand led to indiscriminate harvesting resulting to the depletion of natural stocks of the angelwing clam Pholas orientalis. Seed production techniques in the hatchery should be established prior to any attempt of considering resource rehabilitation through stock enhancement. Studies on the biology and fisheries of the angelwing clam should also be conducted while developing seed production techniques:

- Technology for seed production of angelwing in the hatchery will be developed; and

- The population of angelwing clam in the area where the broodstock are being collected will be assessed.

(c) Activity 3: Verification of developed and established technologies

(8) Growth and survival of hatchery-reared giant clam, Tridacna gigas, in ocean nurseries in Negros and Panay Islands

This study aims to compare growth rates and survival of clams grown in these three different sites.