Oyster farming is an aquaculture (or mariculture) practice in which oysters are raised for human consumption.

Commonly farmed food oysters include the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, Belon oyster Ostrea edulis, the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata, and the Southern mud oyster Ostrea angasi. Oysters naturally grow in estuarine bodies of brackish water. When farmed, the temperature and salinity of the water are controlled (or at least monitored), so as to induce spawning and fertilization, as well as to speed the rate of maturation which can take several years. Three methods of cultivation are commonly used. In each case oysters are cultivated to the size of "spat," the point at which they attach themselves to a substrate. The substrate is known as a "culch" or "cultch". The loose spat may be allowed to mature further to form "seed" oysters with small shells. In either case (spat or seed stage), they are then set out to mature. The maturation technique is where the cultivation method choice is made. In one method the spat or seed oysters are distributed over existing oyster beds and left to mature naturally. Such oysters will then be collected using the methods for fishing wild oysters, such as dredging. In the second method the spat or seed may be put in racks, bags, or cages(or they may be glued in threes to vertical ropes) which are held above the bottom. Oysters cultivated in this manner may be harvested by lifting the bags or racks to the surface and removing mature oysters, or simply retrieving the larger oysters when the enclosure is exposed at low tide. The latter method may avoid losses to some predators, but is more expensive.[3] In the third method the spat or seed are placed in a culch within an artificial maturation tank. The maturation tank may be fed with water that has been especially prepared for the purpose of accelerating the growth rate of the oysters. In particular the temperature and salinity of the water may be altered somewhat from nearby ocean water. The carbonate minerals calciteand aragonite in the water may help oysters develop their shells faster and may also be included in the water processing prior to introduction to the tanks. This latter cultivation technique may be the least susceptible to predators and poaching, but is the most expensive to build and to operate.[4] The Pacific oyster C. gigas is the species most commonly used with this type of farming.

Oyster farming is suitable for small-scale and family business. Oyster or talaba is always in demand, and its culture enjoys the support of the government and various agencies.

The country exports oyster to the US, Arabian Peninsula and Japan. In 1985, we sold only 261 kg of fresh and frozen oysters to Okinawa and the Arab states. Exports of preserved oysters to the US reached 2,533 kg in 1985, valued at $6,484. Nevertheless, the local demand is greater than the supply, with fast turnover and heavy trading in the market. Oyster is sold directly to the consumers, processors and exporters. Oyster farming also promises good returns, ranging from P1.22 to P2.43 per peso invested. A good source of animal protein, oyster is primary cultivated for good, although it has industrial and ornamental uses. Oyster meat is delicious and is made into special dishes in hotels and restaurants. Oyster shells are used to make orminants, lime paints and poultry grit. Oyster culture farms in the country range from 1,500 sq m to half a hectare and are usually managed by operator owners. These are found in the coasts of Cavite, Bulacan, La Union, Bataan, Cagayan, Negros and Iloilo. The Bureau of fishery and Aquatic Resources operates several oyster farms all over the country techniques, extend technical assistance to farmers and provide stock to breeders. Oyster is usually found in shallow waters along the coast. It thrives in sea water with 0.01 to 0.05 per cent saltiness, and can be collected from stones, shells, or any hard object scattered along the coasts. Fertile eggs are released throughout the year with peaks at certain periods. Spats, or larvae that settle on the cling to hard surfaces, appear from late January to early September and also from May to August. They are then found from 30 to 40 cm below the sea level down to the ocean floor. Species There are at least 17 species of oysters in the country but only four are cultured commercially. These are the talabang tsinelas (slipper-shaped oyster), the pulid-pulid (palmrooted oyster) and the kulot or curly oyster. The talabang tsinelas and the kukong kabayo are the two most commonly cultivated species, while the other grow on rocky bottoms coastal zones. Site Selection The oyster farm site should not be subject to excessive flooding and should protected from strong current and waves. There should, however, be moderate current for good water exchange. Water should be brackish, unpolluted, and with adequate oyster food such as minutes plants and minerals or any organic particles suspended in the water. Temperature should range from 18 or 28C and natural predators such as borers, starfishes and crabs should be minimal. Farming Methods Productions is best when oyster is cultured above the ocean bottom. The stake method makes use of bamboo poles to collect and grow the spats. The poles of the tolis are stuck into the soft muddy bottom a meter apart before the spawning or egg-hatching season. The spats settle at the bamboo poles 15 to 120 cm from the lowest tide. The tips of the stakes should extend out to the water surface about a meter high so that pulling the stakes is easy. The hanging method makes use of hanging collectors or bitin to collect and grow the spats. Each collector is made of five empty oyster shells strung together with nylon rope about a meter long. They are fastened and hung on bamboo plots or rafts at 25 distance from each other. The lower end of the strings should not touch the bottom. To make the lines rigid, attach nuts shells at the end of the lines. Each bamboo plot usually measures 1 by 20 meters, and there are about 125 plots in half a hectare. To make the plot. three bamboo poles are placed horizontally parallel to each other, spaced half a meter apart. A series of bamboo posts support each plot, staked at one meter intervals. Where the water is deep, the collectors are hung on a bamboo raft. One roll of nylon rope can make about 180 collectors, while a kaing of empty oyster shells is needed to make 100 bitin or collectors. About 350 collectors are needed to make 100 bitins or collectors. About 350 collectors are ended to plot-43,750 for half hectare farm. Hence, about 2,570 kaings of oyster can be harvested from a half hectare farm, plus 500 additional kaings that can be gathered from the bamboo posts. Another farming method the broadcast or sabog is effective only in the shallow water with a depth of about two meters. Oyster shells, stones, gravel and tin cans are thrown in areas where spats abound. These then will serve as settlement materials for the larvae. Harvest Oyster are harvested before the spawning period while the meat is still fat, full, rounded, bulging and creamy in appearance or when they reach 4-9 cm after 6 to 12 from the settling of larvae. With the stakes method, harvesting is done by prying off the cluster of oysters from the poles underwater. Undersized oyster are broadcast and allowed to grow to marketable size so they can command a high price. The bamboo poles can be used for one to two years before being replaced. Average yield per hectare using this method is 4 to 8 tons per year. For easier harvesting use floating rafts, constructed to fit-in-between rows of stakes or bamboo plots. With the hanging method, harvesting is done by cutting or untying the hanging collectors from the bamboo poles. Clusters of oysters are separated by knocking them off the rope. Average yield per hectare using this method is 10 to 15 tons per year. Floating rafts produce 40 to 60 tons of oyster per hectare each year. Postharvest If oysters are not to be packed or transported immediately, submerge them on raft placed underwater.

Depurate or clean them by submersing in flowing clean sea water for 48 hours. Depression plants or machines may be employed to remove germs and disease causing organisms. Oysters are sold with or without their shells, or salted into bagoong. For shipping , they are packed in sacks, keep moist, and prevented from sun exposure.

Lobster (Panulirus sp), locally known as banagan, is an expensive priced marine crustacean both in the local and international markets. It is caught using bottom gill nets and the availability of stocks is dependent on a days catch.

Lobster farming is a lucrative and viable livelihood, especially for coastal residents. Premium gourmet meals are incomplete without the mouth-watering lobsters. o There are three species of lobsters: tiger lobster (Panulirus ornatus) which is distinguished by its spotted legs; o Bamboo lobster (Panulirus versicolor) which has striped legs that resembles that of a bamboo trunk; and o Adik-adik lobster (Panulirus edulis) which is identified by its reddish back. The most common lobster farmed are the tiger and bamboo lobsters. Methods of Site Selection and Pen Construction: 1. Select a site considering the following criteria: o Has moderate water current and sandy ground; o Has a depth of water level should be one meter high during low tide and two meters during high tide; o Has high marine water salinity.

2. Construct a pen about 20 sqm (for 200 lobster fingerlings). The pen may be established near the residence of the fisher for easy monitoring. 3. Install bamboo poles underwater to serve as corners for the pen. 4. Enclose the pen with a plastic net. Cover the ground with net to prevent lobsters from escaping. 5. Tie the plastic net using a nylon twine. 6. Construct firm corners and walling using bamboo slats/coconut slabs or any seawater-resistant material to protect pen from strong current and waves. 7. Cover the top portion of the pen with bamboo slats. Provide small opening with a removable cover for feeding and harvesting.
8.

Stocking 1. Weigh lobster fingerlings before stocking. Lobsters with 150-200 gms can be stocked in the pen at a density of 10 pieces per square meter.

2. Drop carefully and individually the finger-lings into the pen to avoid defacing the appendages of the fingerlings. Stocking should be done during high tide. 3. Stock fingerlings of the same size. Lobsters are carnivorous. The bigger ones can eat small lobsters. Feeding and Maintenance 1. Feed the lobster once a day preferably in the morning with any kind of fish trash or fresh seaweed. Feeds should be chopped into small pieces. 2. Using a bolo, clean the pen twice a month to remove sediments and barnacles that stick the net. Harvesting 1. Harvest lobsters six to ten months (approximately 900-1000 gms/pc) after 2. Harvest lobsters by gently scooping using nets to avoid damage to the species. 3. Place newly-harvested lobsters in basin filled with seawater before packing. Packing 1. 2. 3. Wrap lobsters in paper pre-soaked with saline water. Arrange and pile gently in styroboxes filled with ice to prolong freshness. Cover the styroboxes and seal with packaging tape.

Mud crabs, locally known as alimango, inhabit brackishwater and marine environments and prefer muddy and sandy bottoms. They dig deep burrows in mangroves and soft substrates in shallow or intertidal waters. Mud crab juveniles (crablets) are obtained from the wild and recently from the hatchery. Crablets are cultured for 4-5 months. Lean crabs are fattened for 30-45 days. The four mud crab species are the following:

o o o o

Giant or king mud crab (Scylla serrata) Purple mud crab (Scylla traquebarica) Orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea) Green mud crab (Scyall paramamosain)

Fattening Crabs are also fattened in monoculture for short term culture. Market sized but lean crabs from ponds or the wild command a low price in either local or export markets. Lean crabs are therefore fattened for 15-30 days in ponds, pens and cages set in ponds, protected coastal waters or shallow lagoons. The stocking density may be up to 1/m

in communal rearing since the culture period is short. Crabs are fed with low-value fish, snails and chicken trash

at 5-8 percent or to satiation. One-two daily feeds are provided using various systems, as described below. Earthen ponds

Mud crabs (BW 400 g for S. serrata and BW 250 g for the three other species) are held in earthen ponds (1.0 ha) at 1/m . Fat crabs are selectively harvested and replaced with lean crabs. Water exchange is carried out every spring tide. Fences made of bamboo, net or plastic materials may be placed around the pond dikes to prevent escapes. Pens and cages in ponds, protected coastal waters or shallow lagoons Pens and cages made of bamboo are positioned in ponds, estuarine areas, protected coastal waters or shallow lagoons and bays. A 4L x 4W x 2.5H m pen buried not less than 0.5 m into the soil can accommodate up to 80 crabs, depending on the species (lower stocking density for S. serrata due to its large size). Floating or fixed cages measuring 1 x 1 x 0.4 m can be partitioned into cells while a cage measuring 2 x 0.7 x 0.3 m may also be divided into 24 small cells. The cages are provided with movable covers. The walls of the cages have 0.5 cm gaps between the bamboo slats to enable water movement within the cage. The bottoms have no gaps for easy movement of the crabs. One crab is placed in each cell. Basket cages made of hard polyethylene material are also used for individual fattening of crabs. Pens in mangroves

Mud crab culture can also be integrated with the existing mangroves. The pen area (1 000-2 000 m ) is enclosed by bamboo slats or polyethylene netting set on stakes of bamboo or wood buried 50 cm in the substrate. The effective height is 2.0-2.5 m or higher than the highest tide in the site. About 20 percent of the total pen area is allotted for canals (0.5 m deep) to hold water during low tides. The canals are situated in the centre of the pen area, away from the net or bamboo partitions, to prevent the crabs from escaping to the outside through deep burrows. Tied crabs In the Philippines, another method, the tied crab fattening technique, was developed by small-scale fishers and non-governmental organizations. Adult crabs are tied individually to a pole and a buoy marker is attached to each crab. Bamboo poles are staked about 2 m apart inside the pond. The food items are positioned close to each pole so that only the crab tied to that pole can feed on it, hence feeding efficiency is improved. The crabs are classified prior to tying and can easily be retrieved based on the preference of the buyer. In the case of extreme rises in sea level or storms, the crabs are immediately collected and placed in a secure location. The crabs are returned to the farm when the weather has calmed down.