FISH CULTIVATION

MANAGEMENT
 OJECTIVE
This lesson provides helpful insights to enable you to:
1. Familiarize oneself with the highlights of Philippine fisheries.
2. Find out some essentials in the preparation and construction on fishponds.
3. Stress the importance of having a backyard fishpond.
GLOBAL SCENARIO: PHILIPPINE
FISHERIES
The following condition of our fisheries is worth considering to inspire our
young readers to help their families by engaging in raising fish in their own
backyard.
 Year 2006 was a banner year for the fishing industry in our country. It
ranked 8th among the leading fish producing countries in the world with a
total production of 4.41 million metric tons of fish ,
crustaceans ,mollusks , and aquatic plants (INCLUDING SEAWEEDS)
 With regard to our country’s 0.623 Million metric tons aquaculture
production of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, we were ranked 10 th in the
world in 2006.
 Our country is never outdone in its production of aquatic plants (including
seaweeds) for we are ther world’s 2nd largest producer.
 A heartwarming report by the burearu of fisheries and aquatic
Resources(BFAR) is that 2009 is another moral booster for our fishery
sectors. The global crisis has not paralyzed the Philippine fishing industry
for it manages to go on earning dollars for our country, with tuna and
seaweeds as the country’s leading export fishery products.
FISH SPECIES THAT CAN BE
CULTIVATED IN BACKYARD FISHPONDS
 Many types of fish can thrive in a backyard fishpond. These include
milkfish or bangus, giant gourami, carp or karpa, and tilapia. Since tilapia
is a species which readily breeds in fish ponds, many fish raisers consider
it best.
SOME OF THE WATER FISH THAT CAN ALSO
BE CULTIVATE IN ONE’S BACK YARD ARE
SOME ESSEANTIALS IN THE PREPARATION
AND CONSTRUCTION OF FISHPONDS
Putting up fishpond is the beginning of one’s commitment to cultivate fish.To
be successful , the following essentials are needed.
1.Knowledge of the kind of fishpond. Is it dugout excavated or dugout
concrete type? Or fish pens?
The dugout-excavated type is simple and economical. It only requires the
digging of preferred location. The fishponds in Bataan are of this type.
The dugout-concrete type, except for its concrete walls, is made of hallow
blocks. The backyard and school fishponds are examples of this.With a
bamboo fence around and with the net attached to it ,these are usually found
in lake
2. SITE SECTION
Water Supply. A fishpond cannot survive without water. The site should be
provided with water accessible throughout the year. Consider also the depth
of the water in the ponds. It should be at least 3-4 meters at low level.
Soil Characteristics. Rich soil, with deposits of organic matter approximately
16% is excellent for fishponds. Example of these are clay, clay loam, and
sandy soil. Soil as these fail to keep water in the ponds. Refrain from using
areas with thick deposits of organic debris for they are poor materials for
diking. A soil pH of 7-9 is worth considering.
Topography. To facilitate excavation and leveling, go for flat terrains.
Frequently flooded areas are to be excluded.
3. Financial requirement. Any fishpond size requires financial investment so
the owner must set aside enough capital to construct it.
4. Manpower requirement. Maintaining a fishpen requires close supervision of
experienced individuals. For easier fishpond management , a small-sized pond
is recommended for beginning fish raiser.
5. Pre-stocking the pond. Protect the fry or fingerlings from carnivorous fish
and predatory insect by cleaning the pond well. By sun drying it for few days,
the pond will be spared from harmful insects that eat up the fry and
fingerlings.
6. Stoking. This is doe by letting go of the fish fry or fingerlings into a body of
water like fish pond or lake. In releasing the fingerlings, the following
pointers must be followed.
a. Remember that the fingerlings are fragile so they must be handled with
care.
b. The fish should be acclimated before they are released to the pond.
c. A preferable time is before 9:00 am or after 6:00 pm.
d. The deeper part of the fishpond is the best destination of the released
fingerlings.
e. Stock just enough for the fingerlings to move freely in the pond.
Overcrowding is not good for the fish.
Accessibility to market. Remember that the fish is a perishable item so it
must reach the consumers whole and fresh. It must be transported easily to
the nearest market.
Proper Construction of a Fishpond

1. Dugout or Small Backyard Fishpond

The following steps in the construction of this type are:
a. Use a string to mark the perimeter of the pond’s proposed size.
b. The soil must be dug up to 1.5 meters deep.
c. Dugout soil is still useful for building the perimeter dike of about 2 meters
high from the base of the crown. It should be installed with a water pipe of
1.5 inches in diameter.
d. Be ready with 3-6 layers of mud blocks. See to it that each layer is allowed
to dry before the installation of the next layer.
2. Fish Out of bamboo Screen
After choosing bamboo poles of good quality, stake them in the chosen site
following the size and shape of the fishpen.
Weave the bamboo splits (banatan) with kabo negro ropes into the bomboo
splits to one dalungan extending to five meters per roll.
Stretch the banatan carefully from one pole to another using rubber or a kabo
negro rope.
3. For study banatan that could weather strong water waves, it is reinforced
with sliced rubber around the top and bottom.
4. Fishpen out of synthetic netting
This type of fishpen is common in laguna lake. It is constructed from a
synthetic netting using gill netting . Several pieces of nets comprise this. They
are bound into one in a length of 200-500 metter with depth of 35 feet and
approximately 50 meters long per unit.