(A copy of LLDA text, 6 April 1971)
Year I (1971–1972)
1. Establishment of a Fisheries Research Station with Facilities for Fish Hatchery Work
Undertake researches on intensive fish production techniques broken down as follows:
Aquaculture in Land-Based Fisheries
Purpose:
To establish the techniques of pond management and system of operations of freshwater fish ponds both of monospecies and multispecies cultivation of fish.
To establish the economic levels of applications of feeds and fertilizers and determine the kind of materials to be used.
Establish the appropriate combination of species that would yield the optimum total crop.
Determine and compare the economics of production and rates of production using certain techniques of management.
Rationale:
Freshwater fish culture is a very recent development in the country which started with cooperator-demonstrator projects known as the upland fish ponds (reservoir pond) and the lowland or floodland fish ponds.
While it is known that these two types of fish ponding are becoming an accepted business in the country, yet the techniques of management and operations are still by trial and error. No information is available on the economic comparability of fish pond operations. The prevailing system of operations are still conventional despite the introduction of the Chinese carps in the system.
The LLDA intends to develop the standard of aquaculture operations with particular emphasis on the feasibility of certain types of fish pond management and operations profitable in the Laguna Lake region. Initially, the standard accelerated pond operation and multiple sequence technique of fish pond management shall be tried.
The studies will be carried out until satisfactory results have been obtained. After the economics of operations using the different systems have been established and the system of management has been standardized, a large-scale development of fish ponds along Laguna de Bay area will commence. Reclamation of the East Bay area for fish pond development as proposed in the UNDP studies may be started by private parties with LLDA assistance and participation.
Technical assistance from FAO for the general scoping up and review of the LLDA fisheries development programme is being requested. An Israeli expert is due to come soon.
Aquaculture in Natural Waters
Fish enclosures (pens and corrals)
A 40 ha pilot project is now in operation to demonstrate the technique of
aquaculture in the lake itself. The LLDA appropriated 
150 000 for this
project.
Floating net cage fish culture
This practice is very successful in Japan and the southeastern part of the United States. The information available shows that the rate of production in this type of aquaculture operation is even higher than that of land-based fish ponds. For instance in Japan, a floating net of 25 m2 could produce up to 3.0 tons of fish per year. In the United States it was shown that a cubic meter of floating net cage can produce 500 lbs of fish in 40 days.
Considering that Laguna de Bay is a shallow lake and very rich in natural food organisms, experiments on this method of fish production shall be made. The results obtained here will provide the fishermen with alternative investments in the lake itself, thus substantially augmenting the already depleted fishery resource of the lake.
A project to this effect is being readied by the LLDA and is estimated to
cost at least 263 150.
2. Selective Breeding of Fish
As an interim activity, common carp selected from wild stocks will be bred to produce fingerlings to be used in the aquaculture experiments enumerated above assuming that the facilities for such work are already available and ready for operation.
Meanwhile importation of fingerlings to improve the quality of existing freshwater species in the lake and for pond fish production purposes will be made. This includes the following species:
Carassius carassius, a crucian carp variety that is a plankton feeder.
Tilapia nilotica, a species of tilapia that will produce 85 percent male hybrid if crossed with T. mossambica. The females will be destroyed or used as feed. The hybrid has a fast growth rate. A monosex culture of tilapia will be effected.
Ictaluras punctatus, channel catfish, a freshwater catfish which can take the place of the local catfish in Laguna de Bay. They have the same characteristics and palatability. Channel catfish can be spawned artificially unlike the local species. Pangasius sutchi, a freshwater catfish of Thailand, will be an alternative species to channel catfish if the performance of the latter under local conditions is poor.
3. Organization and Establishment of Fishery Cooperatives
This activity is a prelude to the fishermen-oriented management of the lake fishery resources. Through the LLDA's demonstration of lake fishery production techniques, fishermen will be organized into cooperative units engaged in different fishery operations. The pilot projects are in themselves educational to the fishermen. This activity will be expanded to many places in the lake area. Initial steps toward the organization of the fishery cooperatives are underway.
Year II (1972–1973)
Continue research on fish production techniques. This time a combination of common carp and tilapia hybrids shall be used. Report findings in the research work conducted in Year I.
Expand the activities on the fish corral and floating net fish cage operations in Central Bay. The fingerlings that will be produced by the LLDA from the hatchery will be channelled to these projects rather than releasing them in the open lake waters.
Undertake a socio-economic base study of Laguna de Bay fishermen to find out the existing conditions, e.g. what they actually do in the lake, how they fish and how much they obtain from their fishing operations. This information is needed to be able to know what should be changed in the system of operations, how these could be changed and techniques to be brought about. This programme will of course take into consideration the 1971 fisheries census.
Special Fund assistance from the UNDP, covering the organization of fishery cooperatives and other specialized studies, is being requested by the LLDA in addition to the UNDP Technical Assistance Programme.
A manpower training programme in fishery cooperatives' management and operation under the Colombo Plan or UNDP shall be arranged for the LLDA technical staff involved in the project and the fishermen cooperatives managerial staff.
Start the hybridization of tilapia and continue work on the new common carp variety.
Year III (1973–1974)
Continue research on fish production techniques using a combination of new variety of common carp (Carassius carassius) and tilapia. Report findings during the Year II activities. Expand the application of the floating net fish cage culture in the lake.
Implement the findings of the UNDP team on the socio-economic study of Laguna Lake fishermen. Intensify the cooperatives' movement in the area.
Undertake intensive fingerlings production of the new common carp variety and tilapia hybrids.
Undertake an intensive stocking rate of Central Bay with new common carp fingerlings variety and introduce tilapia hybrids for the first time. Coordinate with the fishery cooperatives on this activity.
A formula of feed mix for common carp culture should have been developed by now. A pilot-scale production of the pellet feed shall be started.
Start reclamation of East Bay for fish pond development purposes.
Year IV (1974–1975)
Continue research work on fish production techniques with catfish as a third species combination. Report findings in the research activities during Year III. Assess the production and performance of all floating net cage projects installed in the lake.
Continue intensive fingerling production of selected species and start breeding of channel catfish.
Intensify stocking rate of Central Bay.
Commence the commercial production of feeds for aquaculture based on the results of experiments already conducted.
Continue reclamation of East Bay.
Year V (1975–1976)
Evaluate overall results of all researches carried out.
Undertake a new series of studies involving other techniques of operation that have evolved during the four-year operations. Isolate the major problems and develop means by which such problems may be solved. Prepare another five-year research programme based on the findings during the first five-year period with emphasis on the production of channel catfish in ponds and lake aquaculture installations.
Continue reclamation of East Bay.
