Essay On Aquaculture

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INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Aquaculture is one of the fast-improving sources of food and raw material stock for industry from which the Philippines takes up a significant role in the world market (BFAR-PHILMINAQ, 2007). It continues to be the main driver of growth for the agricultural sector of the country that provides a number of socio-economic benefits, including food provision, income generation and livelihood. In several areas throughout Southeast Asia, crab production is one of the substantial aquaculture industries especially in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sarawak. (Oluwatoyin et al., 2013).
Amongst many aquatic products sold in local markets, Asian shore crabs, Hemigrapsus sanguineus or commonly known as “talangka” are one of the most marketable goods. In different seafood markets in Metro Manila, Asian shore crab is being supplied by productions coming mainly from Navotas Bay and Manila Bay. It is an economically important species with high market demand and is easily bred in captivity. As of today, harvesting of crabs in the country had greatly contributed to the crab annual production. As a result of abundant availability of these crabs, the community tends to take advantage of them thru continuous crab massive collection and over extraction, which can diminish the crab population status and distribution at some point and may cause these limited resources the risk of depletion in time ahead.
Other than a high demand for these crabs in the Philippines, there are emerging environmental threats such as pollutants like waste discharges from factories, effects of climate change – rising sea levels, increasing water temperature and salinity, and changing weather patterns that may impose impacts on productivi...

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...ranaque lagoon complex in Manila Bay. Only one particular species will be studied. The study will only focus on the gonadosomatic index in assessing the reproductive potential and will not include other determining factors such as hepatosomatic index since the liver is difficult to extricate. Only the female organism is considered in measuring the GSI. Female crabs will be identified based on the morphology of their abdomen.
The study is not subjected to an in depth analysis of reproductive life cycle and development stages of the Asian shore crab. Length- weight relationship determination will be used to assess the physiological status and the reproductive biology of the Asian shore crabs and monitor the conditions of its habitat. Consequently, the aim of the length -weight relationships presented is to derive length estimates for the crabs inhabiting Manila Bay.

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