WHY POMPANO DESERVES TO BE THE NEXT BIG THING IN PHILIPPINE AQUACULTURE

WHY POMPANO DESERVES TO BE THE NEXT BIG THING IN PHILIPPINE AQUACULTURE

Let’s talk fish. Specifically, Pompano—a fast-growing, delicious white-meat fish that is quietly making waves in global aquaculture circles. But here in the Philippines? It remains an under-promoted, underutilized, and undervalued resource despite its enormous potential.

That’s a missed opportunity we can no longer afford.

While our government remains busy with the usual fish species—milkfish (bangus), tilapia, and galunggong—other countries are racing ahead with smarter, more strategic fishery priorities. Australia, for instance, has already declared Pompano as a priority species. Their national research agency, CSIRO, is not just tinkering with this fish—they're developing new white fish strains for sustainable aquaculture. If they’re investing research dollars into it, that tells me one thing: they’ve done the math.

So, why should the Philippines care?

Because we’re an archipelago with thousands of kilometers of coastline and hundreds of idle or abandoned brackish water fishponds. We’re also a country that struggles with food inflation and relies heavily on imported protein, both from land and sea. In other words, we are perfectly positioned to make Pompano a national success story—if only we act now.

A Better Alternative to Pork?

Let’s look at the economics. Pompano sells for more than bangus today, but that’s only because supply is still low. If we increase production through targeted support and training, the price could go down significantly, making it an affordable alternative to pork, especially in lower-income households. And unlike pork, it’s leaner, healthier, and less resource-intensive to produce.

We’re not starting from zero. According to SEAFDEC/AQD, there’s already momentum building around Pompano farming locally. But what’s missing is strong government backing, the kind that can scale this up from a niche opportunity to a full-blown industry.

What We Can Learn from Australia

CSIRO’s work in Australia should be our blueprint. I urge our government to instruct the Philippine Embassy in Canberra to open lines of communication with CSIRO and study their approaches—whether it’s genetics, hatchery techniques, feed formulation, or disease resistance. We can’t keep reinventing the wheel while other nations are offering us the playbook.

And while we’re at it, let’s get AUSAID and the Australian Embassy in Manila involved too. Let’s explore technology transfer, sample species access, and possibly even joint research programs. There's diplomatic value in science, too—something I’ve long believed we should harness through what is known as economic diplomacy.

A Call for Interagency Action

This isn’t a one-agency job. We need DFA, DA, DOST, DENR, and BFAR to form a joint task force on Pompano. Yes, just for this fish. It’s that important. This task force can align Pompano development with our national food security goals, particularly in marginalized coastal communities that badly need livelihood interventions.

If Pompano thrives in brackish water, as studies suggest, then imagine the possibilities: reviving thousands of hectares of idle ponds, providing jobs to rural fisherfolk, and lessening our dependence on imports.

That’s not just aquaculture. That’s rural development, poverty alleviation, and national resilience rolled into one.

We Must Act Now—Not When Other Countries Are Already Exporting It Back to Us

Let’s not make the same mistake we’ve made before—discovering an idea too late, importing it at a premium, and wondering why we’re always behind.

This is a low-hanging fruit in a country blessed with marine biodiversity but cursed with slow-moving bureaucracy. Pompano ticks all the right boxes: high-value, fast-growing, low-maintenance, climate-resilient, and globally marketable.

So, here’s what I propose:

• Instruct the Philippine Embassy in Canberra to gather intel and open conversations with CSIRO.
• Mobilize interagency cooperation for research, pilot testing, and farmer support.
• Engage AUSAID and the Australian Embassy for technology transfer and access to improved strains.
• Formally include Pompano in national aquaculture programs with training, credit, and market linkage support.

If we do all this, we’re not just farming a fish—we’re farming hope. Hope for food security, for economic recovery, and for a more strategic approach to agriculture and diplomacy.

Let’s not allow this opportunity to slip back into the sea.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

08-06-2025