In the context of aquaculture technological extension, this paper and accompanying presentation revealed how the Philippine government through the Philippine Fisheries Commission (PFC), now DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), in partnership with the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization Freedom from Hunger Campaign (FFHC) and UN- FAO World Food Program, initiated the farming and breeding of Asian and Indian major carps in the country between 1965 up to late 1970s. Emphasis is given on bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis, which as per 2011 and 2012 official agricultural statistics, ranked 3rd in freshwater aquaculture (17,464 MT) and 6th on inland capture fisheries output (12,119 MT). The bulk of these production values came from the 90,000 ha Laguna Lake.

The FFHC collaborative project compellingly envisioned to increase food fish production from the freshwater aquaculture sub-sector in the country using low-external input technology. The technical basis of re-invigorating Asian carps aquaculture in the country was founded on the review of Dr. Yun-ang Tang of UN-FAO to tap the underutilized natural food niche in freshwater systems (Tang, 1964). According to the UN FAO expert, approximately 7,200 kg/ha can be produced from optimally managed polyculture of Asian carps in ponds. Thus, Asian carps of varying food niche were re-introduced for the project including: detritivore common carp Cyprinus carpio; phytoplanktivore silver carp Hypopthalmichthys molitrix; zooplanktivore bighead carp A. nobilis; and macrophyte-eating grass carps Ctenopharyngodon idella. The Philippines started working on Asian carps (i.e. various common carp varieties, silver carps and barbs) early in the 1960’s, producing barely 30,000 fingerlings annually from two farms, Magsaysay Memorial Fish Nursery, Zambales and Central Luzon Demonstration Fish Farms, Rizal (PFC Annual Report, 1964).

Between 1966 to 1969, around two (2) million fry of different Asian carp species were imported from Taiwan by the PFC under the UN-FAO FFHC collaboration (Reyes, 1973). These stocks were distributed in 24 PFC farms, notable of which is the purpose built Central Luzon Fish Hatchery in Candaba, Pampanga, and eight (8) government-assisted private fish farms. The PFC and UN-FAO FFHC project experts and farmer participants conducted several induced breeding demonstration and applied hatchery technology refinement trials based on the Chinese hypophysis methods (Reyes, 1973).  In 1969, the first successful bighead carp induced breeding was reported in a government-assisted private fish farm owned by a certain Mr. Alberto Celis in Dingle, Iloilo Province (Reyes, 1973). Soon, other government-assisted private farms succeeded in the mass production of common and rohu carps. Meanwhile, some of the introduced Asian carps which were stocked in communal waters exhibited excellent yields, for example in Candaba Swamp (Pampaga Province), additional 300 kg/ha of various carp species was realized in six (6) months after stocking (Gatus and Reyes, 1973). Remnants of these stocks were selected for broodstock development and further distributed to cooperating private and PFC farms. This two-pronged aquaculture technology demonstration proved to have encouraged farmer interest by showing (1) that Asian carps (e.g. bighead carp) grow at an impressive rate with practically low husbandry intervention and (2) mass production can be achieved using modern yet doable techniques.