Okinawa, Japan — The DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Regional Office 2 (DA-BFAR2) actively participated in the Project Inception Meeting and Training held from June 23 to July 1, 2025, in Okinawa, Japan, hosted by Dr. Ken Maeda, Staff Scientist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University.
Dr. Emma L. Ballad, Agricultural Center Chief II, represented DA-BFAR 2 in the international gathering, which served as the launching point for a collaborative research initiative entitled:
“Freshwater and Estuarine Fish Fauna of the Philippines: Toward Elucidating the Larval Dispersal Mechanism of Diadromous Fish Along the Kuroshio Current.”
The meeting brought together key collaborators from the Philippines, including representatives from Cagayan State University, Mariano Marcos State University, and Western Philippines University. The project, funded by the Nagao Natural Environment Foundation, aims to investigate the larval dispersal pathways of diadromous fish species, particularly goby and mullet, within and beyond the archipelago, influenced by the Kuroshio Current. Disdromous fish are mogrstory fish species that move between freshwater and saltwater or vice versa to complete diffeeent stages of its life cycle such as spawning.
Field research will focus on selected sites in Palawan, Cagayan, and Ilocos Province—regions identified as critical habitats for diadromous fish species. The project is expected to contribute to the broader understanding of fish migration patterns and promote science-based policy directions for the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater and estuarine fish resources in the Philippines.
DA-BFAR 2 Regional Director Dr. Angel Encarnacion expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, noting that the initiative will not only boost regional research capacity but also strengthen BFAR’s conservation programs through international scientific exchange and training.
The inception meeting included sessions on sampling protocols, larval identification techniques, and research coordination strategies—setting the stage for full-scale implementation in the months ahead.
The partnership marks another milestone in DA-BFAR 2’s commitment to biodiversity protection and regional fisheries research advancement, aligned with the national goal of sustainable aquatic resource management.
