The Philippines accounts for 80% of the total world demand for seaweeds making it the world's biggest supplier of the product. Seaweeds are used as raw material for the manufacture of carrageenan that provides livelihood for about 350,000 Filipinos.
However, the present seaweed industry is based largely on Eucheuma species which is now highly commercialized. The country needs to diversify seaweeds production to avoid over production of one seaweed specie which is equally produced in the neighboring Asian countries. At the same time, it would enable expansion of the seaweed farming without undue competition within the country and generate alternative sources of livelihood for the coastal fishermen.
The thrust for the seaweed development, therefore, is to diversify the species cultured, increase production through improvement of culture techniques, and improve the post harvest and processing activities making it a sustainable economic activity for the coastal fisherman.
A BFAR-FAO-UNDP Seaweed Production Development Project (PHI/89/004) is developing the viability of Gracilaria seaweeds production as an alternative fishery-based occupation. It targets aqua based fishery cooperatives and other Self Help Groups (SHOs) in Sorsogon, Philippines. Initially, six (6) cooperatives in pilot coastal fishing villages located in Prieto Diaz, Bagacay, Barcelona, Bulusan, Magallanes and Juban agreed to become cooperators. (More SHO's have expressed interest in PHI/89/004). The cooperative members are trained in the seaweed farming technology and management of a Gracillaria seaweed farm.
Seaweed technical experts from Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) assisted the farmer cooperative beneficiaries in the identification of viable sites, species to be developed and establishment of pilot farms. The cooperative officers were also trained in basic cooperative entrepreneurship management skills. They completed an International Labor Organization (ILO)/ Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) sponsored Coastal Resources Management Seminar in Iloilo City last April 1993. As an outcome of this Workshop, the participants organized a region based Federation of Seaweed and Aqua Based Cooperative. An interim group is now working for the registration of the proposed Federation with Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), a government agency mandated to regulate cooperative developments.
The Federation seeks to develop a viable alternative livelihood activity for each federated primary cooperative member through expanded economic size farms; increase income of each federated primary cooperative through organized farming and production activities; institutionalized market and trading activities; provide/seek assistance in the provision of credit for farming and post production activities; and, eventually establish a common service facility for the processing of the commodity into a high value product (agar).
The Federation proposes to commercialize seaweed farming in Sorsogon. Initially, each member cooperative will expand pilot existing farm to a 1 hectare Seaweed Farm. The participating cooperatives are: St. Lawrence MPCI, Bagacay Livelihood and Development Cooperative Inc., Sama-Sama MPC, Dancalan Development MPC, Sablayan Development Coop, and Magallanes Agro-Fishing Development Coop. Each participating cooperative has an average membership of 50 family beneficiaries.
All of the 6 participating cooperatives will engage in seaweed farming and processing. Marketing of dried seaweeds and eventually the establishment of a Common Service Processing Facility will be the responsibility of the proposed Federation.
Other aqua-based livelihood activites will be explored in the future.
