A new prawn farming scheme called biofloc technology is being promoted as a cost-efficient and high-yielding method of freshwater prawn farming commonly used in Australia and Indonesia.

The Department of Science and Technology said it will introduce its use with local growers.

"Biofloc technology or BFT is set to be employed in the grow-out culture of freshwater prawn in the Philippines for the first time. It is a cutting-edge technology for enhancing the ecological and environmental sustainability of prawn farming," DoST said in an email to the Daily Tribune.

DoST said it is completing its BFT studies through its agency the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development under their project called "The Effects of Biofloc Technology on Water Quality and Growth Performance of Freshwater Prawn and Assessment of Associated Bacterial Communities."

Ammonium level reduced

BFT boosts prawn production by reducing levels of ammonium, an immune system-busting substance in prawns which comes from the animal's waste.

The aquaculture technology also recycles nitrogen into good bacteria as food for prawns.

"In a BFT system, there is a constant production of bacteria and minute organisms that serve as food for the prawns. The prawn's organic waste that contains carbon and nitrogen are used for the continued production of bacteria," DoST said.

DoST added BFT further lowers production costs as it reduces the protein requirement in prawns which lessens the need of farmers to purchase feeds.

"During the first phase of the project, results showed that the application of BFT in the giant freshwater culture system reduced protein requirement from 42 percent to 35 percent without affecting the yield, allowing farmers to use BFT in giant freshwater prawn farming," DoST explained.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO said aquaculture production worldwide can grow further from 150 million tons to 200 million tons by 2030.

FAO projects Philippine aquaculture production to expand by 22.3 percent within this decade.

FAO says the main growth driver is the multiple geopolitical tensions between China, the United States, Europe, Russia and the rest of the world.