Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines holds a significant place in the history of eucheumatoid seaweed farming. In 1969, it established the world’s first commercially successful eucheumatoid seaweed farm. Today, Tawi-Tawi remains the leading producer of raw dried seaweeds (RDS) in the country for the global carrageenan industry. This family-oriented enterprise is a critical source of livelihood for coastal and marginalized communities. The primary cultivated species are Kappaphycus alvarezii and K. striatus. Modified fixed off-bottom and floating methods are the dominant cultivation techniques employed in the region. However, seaweed farmers in Tawi-Tawi are confronted with several challenges that hinder RDS production. These problems include pests, diseases, seasonal slow growth, grazers, constrained expansion of farming area, and lack of capital. Additionally, price fluctuations of RDS also pose a significant and uncontrollable dilemma that dissuades some farmers from intensifying farming activities. This contributes to cases of farmers abandoning seaweed farming livelihood due to other compounding predicaments. To address these challenges, farmers are adopting good aquaculture practices in controlling pest infestation but have resorted to using inorganic nutrient enrichment to increase biomass production, reduce crop period, and purportedly improve plant vigor against ice-ice disease contagion. Recommendations for improving and sustaining eucheumatoid seaweed production in the province are provided in this chapter.

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Current Status of Eucheumatoid Seaweed Farming in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines

  • Albaris B. Tahiluddin,
  • Michael Y. Roleda

摘要

Tawi-Tawi province in the southern Philippines holds a significant place in the history of eucheumatoid seaweed farming. In 1969, it established the world’s first commercially successful eucheumatoid seaweed farm. Today, Tawi-Tawi remains the leading producer of raw dried seaweeds (RDS) in the country for the global carrageenan industry. This family-oriented enterprise is a critical source of livelihood for coastal and marginalized communities. The primary cultivated species are Kappaphycus alvarezii and K. striatus. Modified fixed off-bottom and floating methods are the dominant cultivation techniques employed in the region. However, seaweed farmers in Tawi-Tawi are confronted with several challenges that hinder RDS production. These problems include pests, diseases, seasonal slow growth, grazers, constrained expansion of farming area, and lack of capital. Additionally, price fluctuations of RDS also pose a significant and uncontrollable dilemma that dissuades some farmers from intensifying farming activities. This contributes to cases of farmers abandoning seaweed farming livelihood due to other compounding predicaments. To address these challenges, farmers are adopting good aquaculture practices in controlling pest infestation but have resorted to using inorganic nutrient enrichment to increase biomass production, reduce crop period, and purportedly improve plant vigor against ice-ice disease contagion. Recommendations for improving and sustaining eucheumatoid seaweed production in the province are provided in this chapter.