Following the completion of the theoretical component of the production carrying capacity assessment training, personnel from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regions 3, 4A, 4B, and 5 advanced to the practical phase of the learning series through the “Hands-on Training on Environmental Assessment for the Production Carrying Capacity of Marine Finfish Aquaculture” held on May 25–29, 2026 in Barangay Alwa, Palauig, Zambales.

The activity was facilitated by the Department of Agriculture – National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) through the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FISHCORE) Program under the FishCRRM 1.2 Carrying Capacity Project. As part of the project’s second phase, the training equipped participants with practical skills in conducting environmental assessments and operating the scientific instruments used in production carrying capacity studies.

Participants received hands-on instruction on the use of various environmental monitoring and data collection equipment, including the YSI EXO2 Multiparameter SONDE, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), water and sediment samplers, echosounder, and colorimeter. Technical experts demonstrated the proper operation, calibration, maintenance, and handling of each instrument to ensure the accuracy and reliability of field-generated data.

To reinforce classroom learning, participants conducted actual field assessments in a proposed mariculture area in Palauig. Activities included collecting water and sediment samples, measuring physicochemical parameters, performing nutrient analyses, and gathering current and bathymetric data. The field exercises provided participants with valuable experience in applying standard environmental assessment protocols used in aquaculture carrying capacity studies.

Complementing the environmental assessment activities, key informant interviews were conducted with local mariculture caretakers and operators to gather information on farming practices, production systems, and site-specific environmental conditions. These socio-technical inputs, together with the environmental datasets collected during the training, will serve as critical inputs in determining the area’s production carrying capacity.

The final phase of the training series will focus on data processing and analysis, production carrying capacity computation, and map generation. Participants will learn how to transform field-collected data into science-based outputs that can guide aquaculture planning, management, and policy decisions.

The training forms part of NFRDI’s continuing efforts to strengthen the technical capabilities of BFAR personnel and promote science-based approaches to sustainable aquaculture development and resource management. ### (Jerony Bruto)