The Department of Agriculture-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI), through the Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (FFRDC), conducted a 10-day training on hatchery operation of the giant trevally or Maliputo (Caranx ignobilis) from April 17 to 26, 2023.

The training was participated by BFAR personnel from Regions 1, 2, 4A, 4B, 6, 9, 10, 12 and technicians from private hatcheries of Rockfin Hatchery and San Jose Agro Marine Hatchery.

A series of lectures covering the Maliputo R&D program of NFRDI-FFRDC; biology, breeding, and culture of Maliputo; natural food production; nursery rearing; grow-out culture; simple cost and return; monitoring and record keeping were provided to the participants.

Aside from lectures, the trainees immersed in the actual activities through its practicals session where they learned how to sample broodstock, cannulate breeders, examine gonadal maturity, prepare hormones, inject breeders, prepare feeds, feed broodstock, culture of natural food, monitor embryonic development, incubation of eggs, and rearing of larvae.

The trainees also visited grow-out cages of previous project incubatees to observe the current practices and techniques of local Maliputo grow-out operators in Lemery, Batangas.

This training aimed to spread the Maliputo hatchery technology developed by NFRDI to BFAR regions in the country to increase seed production and promote the aquaculture of the giant trevally in the Philippines. ### (Joshua Manzano)