MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija (January 15, 2026)— Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel on Thursday led the ceremonial stocking of 14,000 craylings, launching an on-farm verification trial designed to determine if raising redclaw crayfish in Philippine freshwater ponds makes commercial sense.
The project, rolled out by the DA–Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) with private-sector partners, marks a clear shift. This is aquaculture driven by science, markets, and controls—not just expansion for expansion’s sake.
That shift was formalized late last year with BFAR Administrative Circular No. 001, series of 2025, which sets the country’s first national rules for culturing Australian redclaw crayfish. Broodstock and craylings must come from certified local hatcheries or BFAR facilities, keeping biosecurity risks in check.
At the heart of the effort is BFAR’s prototype hatchery at the National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center. Thirty female and 10 male breeders anchor the program, supported by 200 future breeders, producing up to 5,000 craylings per cycle over three to five cycles a year. Another 300 craylings are earmarked for tank-based trials.
In Nueva Ecija, the real-world test will run four to five months across four ponds. Two stocking densities—10 and 15 crayfish per square meter—will be tested. Survival, growth, feed efficiency, and returns will decide whether the species can thrive commercially. ### (Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-AFID)
