To benchmark success stories on the different grow-out and mullet hatcheries, three delegates from the Isabela State University (ISU) and two delegates from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) visited Taiwan on August 1 to 3, 2018. //

Delegates from ISU were Prof. Isagani P. Angeles, Jr., Director of Cagayan Valley Freshwater Fisheries Center (CVFFC); Associate Prof. Hermogenes Tambalque III, Faculty of the Provincial Institute of Fisheries; and Mr. Eduardo C. Lim, Jr., Project Assistant of CVFFC. Dr. Milagros Morales, Director of BFAR-R02, and Dr. Evelyn Ame, Chief Training Division of BFAR-R02 were also present in the benchmarking activity.

The benchmarking activity was also initiated to upgrade knowledge on the different techniques and procedures on how to produce mullet by artificial spawning and to acquire information from the successful hatcheries particularly technologies on how to improve and manage the specie.

As part of their schedule, the delegates visited the National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) Fisheries laboratories, fish hatchery in Kaohsiung, and Gray mullet grow-out and hatcheries in Tainan and Chai-Yi.

It was also known that ISU has approved research program funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) under the Niche Centers in the Regions for Research and Development (NICER) Program on the establishment of CVFFC which has two programs that include grow-out of eel and conservation and artificial spawning of “ludong” lobed river mullet.