The “aramang” industry’s economic contribution to the local and export markets has been significant for more than two decades. However, due to resource overexploitation, stock depletion is being experienced. A management strategy called “Gentleman’s Agreement” (GA), an informal agreement based on oral arguments and thrusts of all parties involved has been adopted by the “aramang” fisherfolk in Aparri, Cagayan, as a tool to conserve and bring back the abundance of the stocks. This study tries to assess the status of stocks when this GA is being implemented in the area as a basis for policy formulation to improve resource utilization. Stock assessment methodologies and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) were used.

The contribution of women in the fisheries sector is often underappreciated and under-valued because fisheries have long been considered a male-dominated sector. Studies have shown, however, that countries that value women’s involvement in this sector have reached high levels of economic growth and social well-being. Thus, the present study assessed the women’s participation in the capture and marketing sectors of the glass eel fisheries in the five coastal villages surrounding the mouth of Cagayan River in Aparri, Cagayan, Philippines. A household interview and a small group discussion were conducted to gather relevant and in-depth data on the different aspects like socioeconomic status, present roles, activities, responsibilities, access to and control over resources, and problems and constraints of both genders in the study area.

This study investigated the effects of dietary vitamin C (vitC) and lipid on the expression of immune-related genes in Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae subjected to thermal stress, with water temperature fluctuating from 27.0 ± 1.1 to 34.0 ± 1.8 °C for 15 days. Three experimental diets were formulated containing two different levels of vitC (1 and 3 g kg ^-1) and lipid (17 and 34 g kg ^-1). Significantly higher total hemocyte count (9.63 × 105 ± 3.28 × 105 cells ml ^-1) was observed in shrimp fed 3 g kg ^-1 vitC and 34 g kg ^-1 lipid diets. Using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the comparative 2^-ΔΔCt method, the dietary vitC level of 3 g kg ^-1 significantly upregulated heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALF), crustin, and the Prophenoloxidase (proPO) system.

This study documented the post-harvest handling of glass eel gatherers in Aparri, Cagayan which can serve as baseline information for the establishment of possible management measures to improve the practices of glass eel gathering, conditioning and maintenance for a more sustainable utilization of the stocks and avoid large post-harvest losses in the process. The demographic profile, post-harvest handling practices, and challenges encountered in each step of post-harvest practices were determined. The study was conducted through individual interviews with 165 glass eel gatherers and five local consolidators.

This paper reports an incidence of hermaphroditism in green mussel (Perna viridis) in Inner Malampaya Sound, Taytay Palawan, Philippines, through histology. One hermaphrodite specimen (0.18% of the total samples) was recorded. The sample was macroscopically classified as a male. However, histology showed the presence of both male and female gametes inside the gonad with the dominance of male gametes.