SUPPLY ANALYSIS OF AYUNGIN IN RIZAL

In the early 1960s, silver therapon (Leiopotherapon plumbeus), locally known as ayungin, was

regarded as one of the most abundant freshwater fishery resources in the largest lake in the Philippines,

Laguna de Bay. Small scale fishing communities around the lake are reliant on this fishery resource for

subsistence consumption and livelihood. Recently, ayungin is touted as the most exploited commercial

freshwater fish species in most regions of the country. The decline of this important food fish has led to

a growing interest in its domestication for culture production and for possible replenishment of

depleted stocks in the wild. Therefore, efforts to domesticate, manage, and conserve this native aquatic

species have been given a high priority. Due to its readiness to spawn in captivity and successful

hatchery production in outdoor tanks, ayungin is considered an emerging species with potential for

inland freshwater aquaculture.

In the Philippines, fish is the chief source of dietary protein of rural households. According to the

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (2021), Filipinos consumed as much as 37kg of fish per capita

in 2015. Fish are mainly caught from the country’s vast marine and inland waters. In freshwater habitats,

there are more than 180 native aquatic species widely distributed in the country (Froese & Pauly,2021).

For instance, a diversity of native food fish species are inhabitants of the three major lakes in south

Luzon, Philippines, namely Laguna de Bay, Taal Lake, and Naujan Lake (Figure 1).

Indigenous fish species play an important role in ensuring food security especially among poor

households in rural areas. One of the Philippine native food fish species is the silver therapon, locally

known as ayungin (Figure 2), which is targeted by the small-scale and commercial fisheries in lakeshore

communities (Palma et al., 2002). Ayungin is a popular traditional fish to eat among the locals because

of its tasty flesh. Eating ayungin is considered as part of the tradition of the consuming public,

particularly for those who are 60 years old and above (Salayo et al., 2015). There is something in ayungin

that is a more sought-after fish than any other freshwater fishes such as tilapia or milkfish. Small-scale
fishers catch this fish using gillnet (Figure 3), hook and line, and motorized push net for household

consumption as well as livelihood.

Declining stock of ayungin

About six decades ago, the production of ayungin was enormously abundant in the 90,000-

hectare Laguna de Bay. Together with goby (Glossogobius giuris) and Manila sea catfish (Arius

manillensis), this fish constituted 95 % (about 83,000 t) of the annual fish harvest (Manalang & Diaz,

2017). However, there are no regulations in catching this fish in the lake where everyone can catch

anytime and anywhere. Intense fishing pressure (Palma et al., 2002) and more recently, the proliferation

of the invasive alien species in Laguna de Bay (Guerrero III, 2014) contributed to the decline in the

production of ayungin. There was a significant downward production trend of ayungin by as much as 75

% from 4,675 t in 2002 to 1,182 t in 2020 (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2021b), and this corresponds to

more than 50 % decrease in value from USD 5,396 in 2002 to USD 2,387 in 2020 (Philippine Statistics

Authority, 2021) (Figure 4).

A closer analysis of the rate in the volume of production showed fluctuation across years (Figure

5). There were four periods of positive growth (+4.62 % in 2003–2004, +1.30 % in 2006–2007, + 2.88 %

in 2010–2011, and +5.47 % in 2012–2013) that were observed within the 18-year period. However, the

periods of decline were noted for the years 2005–2006, 2007–2008, 2008–2009, and 2016–2017 at -

21.42 %, -23.20 %, -21.45 %, and -23.82 %, respectively. Consequently, using this 18-year dataset, the

average production rate of ayungin is estimated at -6.96 % per year. Using this value to make future

predictions, the projected production is estimated at 575 t, 279 t, and 136 t in 2030, 2040, and 2050,

respectively It is alarming to note that indeed, ayungin has been reported to have the highest decline

rate among the freshwater fish species in the country (Guerrero III, 2021). The declining production of

ayungin has severely affected the livelihood of approximately more than 24,000 fishers (Israel, 2007)

around Laguna de Bay, particularly the small-scale fishing communities who depend on ayungin fishery
as main source of food and income. Fishers now earn less income as compared to before (Gervacio,

2012). However, despite the declining wild populations of ayungin in most regions of the country, the

demand for this fish remained high. The market price of this fish ranges from USD 6.2 to as high as USD

16.5, which is about 2–5 times more expensive than the selling prices of tilapia and milkfish (Tacio,

2013).

Aquaculture potential of ayungin

The popularity of ayungin as food fish and its importance in the lake’s subsistence fishery have,

therefore, led the Binangonan Freshwater Station of SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, in partnership

with the University of the Philippines Diliman, to develop hatchery rearing techniques for domesticating

this Philippine native fish species. In 2010, hormone-induced spawning of captive broodstock was

developed (L. M. B. Garcia, personal communication, 2010) using human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

hormone. Spawning of ayungin was also induced through the application of salmon gonadotropin

releasing hormone (sGnRH) (Javier et al., 2015). More recently, Aya and Garcia (2020) induced spawning

in ayungin using the combination of hCG and ovaprim®. Larval rearing techniques for ayungin in outdoor

tanks have been established in 2015 but still require further refinements. Larvae of ayungin feed on

natural food organisms such as copepod nauplii, rotifers, copepods, insect larvae, and ostracods during

its early feeding stages (Aya et al., 2015, 2019). A stocking density of 0.4 larvae per liter in 4 m3 outdoor

tank is recommended (Aya & Garcia, 2016), with survival rates as high as 48 % (Aya et al., 2019). Early-

stage juveniles that weigh 0.17–0.18 g were harvested from outdoor concrete tanks after 30–40 days,

followed by another four weeks in indoor plastic tanks before stocking in nursery cages (F.A. Aya,

unpublished data) (Figure 7). In addition, Aya et al., (2021) evaluated different feeding regimes and

stocking densities for rearing early-stage ayungin larvae under laboratory conditions. It was found that

the larvae survived very well with the 69–81 % survival rate, demonstrating that Artemia nauplii were
more suitable than the combined rotifers and formulated microdiet, and that larvae should be stocked

at densities of 5–15 larvae per liter.

Recently, the aquaculture extension manual on the biology and hatchery rearing of ayungin (Aya

& Garcia, 2020) has been published and is now available for download at the SEAFDEC/ AQD

Institutional Repository (https://repository.seafdec.org.ph/handle/10862/5898). The manual contains

the detailed information on the patented hatchery rearing technology of ayungin.

Way Forward

The domestication, management, and conservation of native aquatic species would likely have

positive socioeconomic and ecological consequences. Unfortunately, research efforts on the culture

production of ayungin in the country are limited. Therefore, further refinements on the technology for

seed production and rearing of ayungin are still being continued. Meanwhile, nursery and grow-out

rearing techniques, including the development of artificial diets for this species, are currently in

progress. It is hoped that through these interventions, the production of sufficient numbers of viable

seeds of this native fish species may help secure food fish supply and provide the small-scale fishers with

sustainable livelihood.

Considered as one of the most expensive freshwater fishes in the country, ayungin or silver

perch is a small fish that is classified as among the near-threatened species in the Philippines. It is

indigenous to Laguna de Bay and is claimed to have been introduced to other water bodies including

Taal Lake in Batangas and Sampaloc Lake in Laguna. Despite declines in populations and commercial

catches within Laguna de Bay in recent years, the demand for ayungin remains strong and, thus, still

commands a relatively high price (from as low as P90 to as high as P250 per kilo of whole fish, either

fresh or dried, and depending on the season). Demand is high because locals find its flesh tasty and

delicious. Ayungin is mostly preferred over other edible native freshwater species. Because of its
favorable commercial characteristics, ayungin has attracted significant research interest as a potential

aquaculture species.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños–Limnological Research Station (UPLB-LRS), the

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources–National Inland Fisheries Technology Center (BFAR-NIFTC),

and the Bureau Agricultural Research (BAR) are collaborating on a research and development project

titled, “Development of Seed Production and Grow-Out Culture Techniques for Ayungin.” The project

seeks to develop spawning and larval rearing protocols for effective mass propagation, develop effective

grow-out culture techniques and generate knowledge on growth potentialities under fixed cage

conditions in Laguna de Bay waters, and develop effective grow-out culture techniques for the species

under closed pond conditions According to the lead project proponents, Ma. Vivian Camacho and

Adelaida Palma of UPLB-LRS and BFAR-NIFTC, respectively, the challenge at the moment is to produce a

reliable supply of good quality seed to meet the needs for ayungin grow-out culture. Stocking shall be

done using young juveniles caught from the wild as parent materials. Hence, efforts have to be made for

continuous breeding and application of larval rearing technology in developing them as aquaculture

species. Recently developed hatchery techniques have to be standardized to ensure high survival rates

and production in ponds. The development of the technology required for the grow-out culture, on the

other hand, will include the determination of optimum stocking density in fixed cages either in ponds or

in open lake waters, plus the nutrition and feeding regime necessary for optimum production. The

project shall also assist local fisherfolks in adopting the technology developed on seed production and

grow-out culture innovation for ayungin. It will also initiate the establishment of a sustainable hatchery

facility for mass production of ayungin fingerlings. Further improvements on larval rearing shall be done

through reduction of stress during spawning and providing sufficient natural feeds. A highly centralized

system still needs to be established in order to produce large amounts of live feed while preventing

contamination or population collapse.

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