Rising heat index benefits ‘talaba’ industry in Alaminos City
ALAMINOS CITY—While high temperatures pose challenges for farmed fish, the rising heat index is benefiting another marine product—the oysters (talaba), which grow larger and plumper in warm weather.
Milberth Ferrer, senior aquaculturist of this city in Pangasinan province known for its thriving oyster industry, told the Inquirer recently that high water temperatures accelerate the growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton, the single-celled microorganisms that serve as food for oysters.
Concerns that oysters will be harmed due to water pollution as plankton die due to the extreme heat are unfounded, explained Westly Rosario, former research chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) center in Dagupan City.
“Oysters have a natural defense mechanism—they close their shells to protect themselves from pollutants and harsh environmental conditions,” Rosario said in a separate interview.
In contrast, farmed fish in ponds and cages suffer when plankton die, as they have no shells for protection or an escape route.
Peak season
The peak season for harvesting oysters coincides with Alaminos City’s annual Talaba Festival, held on March 13, a highlight of the monthlong Hundred Islands Festival. This year, 220 grills were set up along the city’s main business district, which was temporarily closed to traffic to accommodate the festivities. The event centered on grilling and enjoying freshly harvested oysters.
City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste said 80 families are directly engaged in oyster farming, cultivating around 35 hectares—half of the city’s allocated oyster farming area—across the coastal waters of Cayucay, Pangapisan, Baleyadaan and Mona.
The Talaba Festival serves as a promotional platform for Alaminos’ oyster industry, which complements the city’s reputation for its unique “longganisa” (sausage).
“We know that our oysters are already reaching markets outside Alaminos, including Dagupan City and Binmaley. In fact, if you try to buy oysters late in the morning, they’re often sold out because buyers pick them up at dawn,” Celeste said.
Government support
The city government continues to support oyster farmers by providing equipment, materials, and training to improve harvests, reduce costs and increase income. The BFAR in Ilocos Region, the National Fisheries and Development Center and the Department of Labor and Employment also offer assistance.
While there is no exact data on the industry’s economic impact, the average annual oyster harvest in Alaminos is estimated at 450-460 metric tons (or 450,000-460,000 kilograms), with farmgate prices at P25 per kg. The primary species cultivated in the city is the “talabang tsinelas” or slipper oyster (Crassostrea iridalei), named for its distinctive shape.
During the Talaba Festival, the city government sold grilling stations for P2,000 each, which included two sacks of oysters, charcoal and tongs. Business owners, government officials and residents purchased these grills to show their support for the industry.
Ferrer said the city government is exploring value-adding opportunities for oysters, such as incorporating them into crackers (kropek) or bottling them for extended shelf life.
Despite the prosperity of the oyster industry, a lurking threat emerges beneath the waters—the black mussel.
“Black mussels hibernate during the hot season but become active when the rains arrive, as cooler water and lower salinity trigger their rapid reproduction,” Ferrer warned.
These invasive mussels compete with oysters for space and resources, attaching themselves to the poles used in oyster farming. Although farmers manually remove them, any remaining mussels can quickly repopulate.
While black mussels are edible, they are not as commercially popular as the preferred green mussels. Controlling their population remains a challenge for local oyster farmers as they continue to sustain and grow their industry.
