‘Lapu-lapu’ depletion feared

An international wildlife conservation organization has warned against over-harvesting of grouper fish, locally known as lapu-lapu, as this could lead to stock depletion of one of Asia’s most sought-after reef fish.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) raised the alarm as it noted that over half of grouper fish taken from Palawan’s reefs are juvenile, which is a clear indication of dangerous stock depletion.

“Over-harvesting has been a huge problem. Fishers were catching five times more than what could be sustained. Spawning aggregations were targeted, depleting brood-stock,” said WWF Philippines project manager Mavic Matillano.

Most pricey

In Taytay, Palawan, there are 2,000 fish cages where various grouper species are grown for an export trade, which now exceeds P1.7 billion.

Out of the 161 grouper species, the leopard coral trout, an orange fish, is the most pricey as it sells for P7,200 a kilo in Hong Kong and P13,500 per kilo in China.

In a statement, the WWF said that in the 1980s, most wild-caught groupers were market-sized and around a foot long.

“After 30 years, most of the large ones have been fished out. Today, just one in five wild-caught groupers is market-sized. Since there aren’t enough adults to go around, the trade turned to grouper ranching, a system where juveniles are caught and grown in guarded offshore cages,” said Dr. Geoffrey Muldoon of the WWF.

WWF’s concern

Locally called lapu-lapu, señorita or suno, the grouper is prized for its taste and texture.

However, the WWF is concerned that millions of juveniles are caught before they are old enough to reproduce.

The WWF said local governments and fishing communities have begun embracing conservation efforts, with the WWF now leading attempts to facilitate the recovery of suno stocks by establishing marine protected areas, enhanced enforcement, licensing and education.

‘Full-cycle mariculture’

“Given the fishery’s dependence on wild juveniles, a way forward is through full-cycle mariculture, potentially freeing suppliers from having to catch wild fish,” Muldoon said.

Full-cycle or closed loop mariculture involves breeding and rearing fish in complete captivity and is meant to eliminate the need to draw from wild stocks.

The WWF said hardier but lower-value species such as green grouper and tiger grouper have been successfully bred and reared in captivity since 2000. However, few succeeded with the leopard coral trout.

The Palawan Aquaculture Corp. has claimed to have bred the expensive grouper type, which the WWF said is a vital first step for full-cycle mariculture.