Liberato V. Laureta
University of Philippines Visayas, Philippines
Title: The dynamics, ecology, production and economic aspects of exploited populations of Oriental angelwings in the coastal waters of Central Negros Occidental, Philippines
Biography
Biography: Liberato V. Laureta
Abstract
The people of Central Negros Occidental, Philippines pride themselves with the very important mollusk resource in their coastal waters, the oriental angel wing (Pholas orientalis) or locally called diwal. Being considered as a delicacy due to its succulent, sweet juicy taste, unique flavor, and likewise believed to have possessed an aphrodisiac element in it, this species has become a major source of livelihood for numbers of fishermen in this area. However, there is a need to have baseline information as basis for developing management schemes in order to either restore or conserve and protect the P. orientalis population towards sustainable production and utilization. This research paper presents results of the field survey conducted on the ecology, population status and distribution of the marine resource in the six municipalities comprising Central Negros. Likewise information on the history of the angel wing industry, its seasonality and yearly production including marketing which were gathered through interviews are presented. The prospects of the angel wing industry to prosper lie on the joint collaboration of the concerned divers, coastal residents, barangay and local officials, traders, the academe, funding agencies and the national government. Some fishery management strategies are presented and discussed in this paper, which are important to effectively manage the resource in this area toward sustainability.