A scientific breakthrough at an Iloilo-based research center might finally be the long-term solution to the perennial shortage of galunggong (round scad) in the Philippines. In a world’s first, researchers successfully spawned galunggong in captivity at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) in Tigbauan, Iloilo, marking a critical milestone towards farming the fish. “Our breeders have been spawning continuously since December last year until this February, and we now have thousands of galunggong in different larval to early juvenile stages at our hatchery which we hope to further grow to market sizes to prove that we can farm galunggong,” revealed SEAFDEC/AQD chief Dan Baliao in an interview last Feb. 28, 2022.

Dianala, R. D. B. (2022, March 3). Research breakthrough seen to curb galunggong shortage. Daily Guardian, pp. 1, 11.