Abalone Sea Ranching

I haven't been to Anini-y for ten years now! It's good to revisit the place as part of my job, and for a good purpose. We reseeded thousands of abalone into the coral reef around Nogas Island. I shall post a copy of the press release I will write later.

I waited for an hour and a half for the coaster to arrive from Tigbauan. Just when I was about to lose my patience, the sight of this cute vehicle approaching almost made me smile. The road to Anini-y is rough so it's good we will be riding an airconditioned vehicle.

The travel was quicker than I thought. The subtle sting on my eyes told me I lack sleep but the beautiful scenery along the southern coast of Panay was not worth missing. We had steep, colossal cliffs on one side and the glistening sea on the other. The mountains were beautifully covered with a carpet of green and the aged trees along the coast held their leaves on enchanting branches.

We first got down at the municipal hall of Anini-y. Just outside, is the charming church of the town. The scientists with me greeted the Mayor and Vice Mayor while I took pictures. We immediately proceeded to Sira-an hot springs where we could ride a boat to the corals.

The boat took a loooong while to arrive. Much radiation has already penetrated my skin by the time we boarded. To my dismay, I was to expect even more radiation because the boat was only half-shaded.

When we finally got to the corals, those involved in the ceremonial releasing of the abalone juveniles scrambled to get into a smaller boat where the styro boxes containing the abalone were on. I too had to endure awkward positions just to balance myself in the small boat while taking pictures and videos of the deputy chief, abalone program leader, mayor, vice-mayor, and SB members releasing the abalone which were kept inside PVC pipes.

As the pipes were thrown overboard, the abalone were finally released into the wild. Now we can only hope they would survive, avoid being illegally collected, and reproduce to increase their numbers.

In the formal program for the signing of he Memorandum of Agreement, the local government officials appeared surprised when the deputy chief, Dr. Hiroshi Ogata revealed that if big enough, one piece of abalone in Japan could cost from P1000 to P1500. The master of ceremonies admitted at the end of the program hat they weren't really aware of what an abalone is.

SEAFDEC/AQD may have the technical and financial resources to launch a reseeding and sea-ranching program such as this. However, without the cooperation of the local government and its people, the program would be in vain. In order to build capacities, much, much effort must be exerted to make the fisherfolk appreciate the concept of sustainable aquaculture development. Please respect the sanctuary.