After the visit to Japan, the town of Dalaguete, Cebu decided to adopt a technology in fisheries and aquaculture to boost fish production.
Dalaguete Mayor Ronald Allan Cesante told the media that there is a need to boost fish production, both sea and freshwater sources, to meet the growing demand, particularly within Cebu province.
He cited the 2020 data which disclosed that Cebu province's market demand for fish products stands at 200,000 metric tons annually.
Cebu currently is producing only 38,000 to 40,000 metric tons per year.
The new Japanese technology adopts seawater fish that can be cultured in a freshwater environment through several processes known in Japan as " third water" technology.
Given the unpredictable fish production in seawater attributed to climate change, Mayor Cesante stressed the crucial need to establish a robust aquaculture facility within the town.
This facility is anticipated to not only yield freshwater fish but also a diverse array of wild seawater fish, providing a more stable and sustainable source.
"I was surprised to see a land-based aquaculture facility in the mountains. We are in a similar area like in Mantalongon, Dalaguete, so this will be a good reference for us," Cesante said.
Mantalogon is the second-largest barangay in Dalaguete and is known as the vegetable basket of Cebu.
Hiroyuki Hirano, the President of the Okayama University of Science, and Professors Toshimasa Yamamoto and Akihiro Orita, faculty members of Okayama University of Science Department of Engineering, introduced to the Cebu delegation the successful implementation of land-based aquaculture using freshwater in fish tanks situated in the mountains and other inland areas of Japan, Cambodia, and Mongolia.
Aside from Mayor Cesante, the Cebu delegation was composed of Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan Saragene, Engr. Expedizitas Lenares, Engr. Jireh Burda, Mrs. Joanna Cesante,Mr. Jose Manuel Canton, and sisters Teresa and Myriam Canton.
In light of the pressing food security concerns in the Philippines, Okayama University of Science has affirmed its commitment to providing technical assistance and technological support through its experts, notably Professor Yamamoto.