After several level of defense, finally the proposed regional research and development center proposed by Samar State University has seen a green light. Last December 7, 2017, the university defended the project at the Governing Council (GC) level of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Aquatic Research and Development (PCAARD) with a favorable outcome. The Eastern Visayas Center for Crustacean Research and Development (EVCCRD) is to be headed by the principal proponent Director Jesus Racuyal of SSU’s Center for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Research and Development (CFARRD). It has an initial funding of PhP 25 million pesos for the first three years of its implementation. The center partners with different SUCs in the region. The center is supported by the Visayas State University, Southern Leyte State University, University of Eastern Philippines and Eastern Samar State University, endorsed by the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas.
The EVCCRD is under DOST’s Niche Centers in the Regions R&D (NICER) Program. Initial activities of the center is the conduct of two major programs with the establishment of new laboratory facilities and the enhancement of existing laboratories to undertake five research studies;
1. The Blue Swimming Crab Project I: Includes stock assessment of blue swimming crab and other crustacean resources, reproductive biology, ecology, evaluation of fishing technology, socio-economics and compliance and enforcement of fishery laws.
Study Title 1. Stock assessment and reproductive biology of blue swimming crab and other crustacean
Study Title 2. Evaluation of fishing gears and methods for blue swimming crabs in Eastern Visayas (Leyte Gulf and Samar Fishing Areas)
Study Title 3. Socio-economic status among fishers of blue swimming crab (P. pelagicus) other crustacean
Study Title 4. Factors affecting compliance and enforcement of fishery laws on blue swimming crab and other crustacean
2. The Blue Swimming Crab Project II: Breeding and Seed Production and Stock Enhancement
The research projects/studies will focus on the commodity: blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus Linnaeus, 1758) and other crustacean in Maqueda Bay, Villareal Bay, Zumarraga Channel, southeastern Samar Sea and Leyte Gulf fishing areas:
Study Title 5. Seed production of blue swimming crab (P. pelagicus) at Samar State University -Mercedes Campus hatchery and stock enhancement in overfished fishing areas.
The establishment of the Eastern Visayas Center for Crustacean Research and Development (EVCCRD) has the following project objectives:
1.) Conduct research and development project activities on the different aspects of the crustacean resources of the eastern Visayas, specifically on the three (3) commodities such as; blue swimming crab, penaeid shrimps and lobsters.
2.) Set-up state of the art facilities for crustacean R & D which conserve the countries technologies need in this areas;
3) Produce knowledge-based products (publications, patents/utility models, processes, policy-brief and the likes) for the benefit of EVCCRD stakeholders.
4) Transfer knowledge, technologies and products to multi-stakeholder groups in the Eastern Visayas Region
5) Provide services to researchers in the Eastern Visayas Region and beyond.