By: Bopp Benjack Dacup
CAMIGUIN โ Green mussel farmers in Camiguin faced a growing challenge as wild seedstock or wild-caught juveniles have been declining in Taguines Lagoon.
Since 2024, a persistent shortage of spat has been observed in the lagoon, making it impossible for farmers to replenish their culture areas and sustain production.
Growing market pressure demand further strained the supply. To fill urgent orders, fisherfolk also harvested some of the broodstock, inadvertently wiping out the mature mussels to reproduce naturally.
For farmers relying on mussel harvests as their primary income, the seedstock shortage threatened the economic survival of their livelihood.
Elmer Delos Reyes, a member of the Benoni Fisherfolk Association credited the MSU-Naawan project for maintaining broodstock in Taguines Lagoon, giving the mussel population a fighting chance to recover.
โDako gyud among pasalamat sa project sa MSU-Naawan kay nagbilin sila ug broodstock sa tahong aron makapadaghan pa kini diri sa lagoon. Kung dili tungod sa ilang project, lagmit nga wala na gyud mabilin nga tahong diri,โ he said.
A lifeline for the Lagoon
To kickstart the lagoons natural spat production, Mindanao State University at Naawan (MSU-Naawan) implemented the DOST-PCAARRD Enhancing the Natural Population of Green Mussel in Taguines Lagoon, Camiguin: A Strategy for Sustainable Seedstock Production for Expansion of the Mussel Industry in Northern Mindanao (DOST-PCAARRD EGeMSS Project).
The project established a protected broodstock of green mussel reserve in Taguines Lagoon, ensuring wild spawning could increase the supply of spat for local farmers.
In February 2026, the project confirmed the return of wild green mussel seeds in the lagoon, giving farmers a renewed source of seedstock after years of limited supply.
A lifeline for mussel growers
To complement the project, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), through the BFAR-National Fisheries Development Center (NFDC), distributed 10,000 hatchery-produced green mussel spats to farmers in Taguines Lagoon.
The hatchery-produced spat gives farmers another source of quality seedstock to replenish their culture areas and maintain production.
Together, the two interventions combine natural spawning with hatchery production. This approach gives farmers more options when natural spat supply falls and helps reduce disruptions in their production cycles.
A Spat of Hope, A Future of Growth
A steady supply of spat keeps mussel farms productive. When seedstock becomes scarce, farmers may struggle to maintain their culture areas, affecting household income and the local supply of green mussels.
The experience in Taguines Lagoon shows how protecting broodstock and supplementing natural recruitment with hatchery-produced spat can help stabilize production.
It also highlights the value of collaboration among research institutions, government agencies, and fisherfolk.
Through research and broodstock management, MSU-Naawan helps restore natural spat production. BFAR, meanwhile, supplements the supply through hatchery-produced spat and supports farmers with interventions suited to their needs.
For BFAR-10, supporting green mussel seedstock production forms part of its continuing efforts to strengthen aquaculture-based livelihoods in coastal communities.
As Camiguin develops its green mussel industry, farmers will need sustained broodstock management, reliable spat production, hatchery support, and responsible farming practices.
For the fisherfolk of Taguines Lagoon, each new spat signals more than another future harvest. It offers a chance to rebuild production, protect their livelihood, and keep Camiguinโs green mussel industry growing. #(๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐๐๐ช๐ฅ/๐๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ค ๐พ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ: ๐๐๐๐ ๐-๐๐๐ข๐จ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ)
