Brackishwater fisheries serve as a critical link between capture fisheries and aquaculture in the Philippines, supporting the livelihoods of countless coastal communities.

According to Philippine Statistics Authority (2025), brackishwater aquaculture contributed nearly half of the country’s total aquaculture value. This amounts to an estimated PhP 61.5 million or 49.6 percent, underscoring its significant role in national food production and rural economies.

With marine fisheries experiencing continuous declines due to overfishing, habitat degradation, and climate change, brackishwater fisheries have emerged as an increasingly vital source of food security and socio-economic stability.

Despite its promise, the sector faces numerous challenges. The loss of mangrove forests, deteriorating water quality, disease outbreaks, and inconsistent supply of high-quality seeds limit production potential. Artisanal farmers remain particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events, fluctuations in salinity, and limited access to modern, science-based technologies. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach, one that combines integrated research, practical technological solutions, and strong institutional support.

The Brackishwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (BFRDC), one of the four centers of DA-NFRDI, plays a pivotal role in advancing science-based innovations that enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability. Through these efforts, BFRDC helps ensure that brackishwater fisheries continue to thrive as a cornerstone of Philippine food security and rural development.

Strategically positioned

As the research center for brackishwater fisheries, BFRDC is strategically located in Lala, Lanao del Norte, near Panguil Bay, one of Northern Mindanao’s major brackishwater fishing grounds. This location allows the BFRDC to conduct site-relevant research and directly support the development of science-based practices for brackishwater aquaculture, fisheries management, and resource sustainability.

Working in close coordination with DA-NFRDI’s freshwater and marine research centers, BFRDC focuses on priority brackishwater commodities and ecosystems. It is equipped with grow-out and nursery ponds, a smallscale hatchery, and a water quality laboratory, enabling researchers to undertake end-to-end studies, from broodstock development and seed production to grow-out culture and environmental monitoring. These facilities strengthen BFRDC’s capacity to generate practical, field-tested technologies that can be adopted by fish farmers and local communities.

In Northern Mindanao, fisheries and aquaculture remain key drivers of regional development. Brackishwater fisheries, in particular, present significant opportunities for food production, livelihood generation, and sustainable resource use across coastal communities. Through research, innovation, and institutional support, BFRDC contributes to unlocking the full potential of the region’s brackishwater resources while promoting long-term ecological and socio-economic resilience.

Strengthening productivity, sustainability

BFRDC conducts focused research to enhance both the productivity and long-term sustainability of brackishwater aquaculture systems. Its work spans key areas of hatchery and grow-out development, including broodstock improvement of priority species such as red tilapia, milkfish, and giant freshwater prawn. It also advances nursery rearing of milkfish through the application of light-based technologies, improving survival and growth rates during critical early life stages.

Beyond conventional commodities, BFRDC develops innovative production technologies for soft-shell crab farming, mudfish breeding, and the polyculture of giant freshwater prawn and red tilapia, approaches that maximize resource use while increasing farm resilience and profitability.

Equally important is BFRDC’s support for the domestication of indigenous species, including native catfish and tapiroid grunter locally known as pigek. These initiatives help diversify farmed species, reduce pressure on wild stocks, and contribute to the conservation of culturally and ecologically important fishes.

These research efforts are implemented under the Hatchery Production Program (HatchPro), a flagship initiative of DA-NFRDI that aims to strengthen local seed production systems and ensure a steady supply of high-quality, climate-resilient seeds for aquaculture. Through HatchPro, BFRDC develops and refines technologies that are responsive to the needs of local fisherfolk and aquaculture practitioners, promoting sustainable brackishwater farming systems that support food security, livelihoods, and ecosystem health.

Bringing science to farms and communities

BFRDC ensures that research outputs extend beyond technical reports and are translated into practical solutions that benefit communities on the ground. Through the Technology and Knowledge Promotion (TechKnowPro) program, BFRDC disseminates Packages of Technologies (POTs) through hands-on training, user-friendly publications, and other extension activities designed to help fish farmers apply research findings under real farming conditions.

Several BFRDC-developed technologies for the brackishwater culture of milkfish, tilapia, and mangrove crab have already been adopted by fish farmers in Lanao del Norte through NFRDI’s Aqua Business School – Technology Business Incubation (ABS-TBI) program. This initiative equips participants, not only with technical competencies in aquaculture production, but also with essential business and entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to establish, manage, and sustain viable aquaculture enterprises.

By integrating science, capacity building, and enterprise development, BFRDC strengthens technology adoption and contributes to inclusive and sustainable growth in the brackishwater fisheries sector.

Institutional support and capacity-building

BFRDC works closely with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and other partner institutions to advance regional fisheries and aquaculture development. Through collaborative research and technical engagement, BFRDC generates science-based evidence that informs policies, local ordinances, and development programs aimed at promoting sustainable aquaculture practices and responsible resource management.

Beyond research and policy support, BFRDC plays a vital role in human resource development within the fisheries sector. It provides technical assistance, hands-on training, and mentoring to fish farmers, aquaculture practitioners, and fisheries extension workers, strengthening local capacities for technology adoption and sustainable farm management. It also serves as a training ground for future professionals by hosting high school and college students under NFRDI’s STrainS program, helping nurture the next generation of fisheries scientists, technologists, and practitioners committed to sustainable fisheries development.

Foresight at work

With a growing population and increasing demand for safe, affordable, and nutritious food, BFRDC remains steadfast in its mission to advance science-based solutions for sustainable brackishwater fisheries. By anticipating emerging challenges, such as climate variability, resource constraints, and changing production needs, BFRDC continues to develop innovative, resilient, and inclusive technologies that support food security, strengthen coastal livelihoods, and ensure the long-term sustainability of brackishwater ecosystems.

Through research, technology transfer, and capacity-building, BFRDC demonstrates foresight in action, transforming science into practical solutions that respond to today’s needs while preparing the fisheries sector for the challenges of tomorrow. ### (Clark Adrian Abao)