Agriculture Business Week

Fisherfolk in Aparri, Cagayan have forged measures in harvesting aramang (Nematopolaemon. sp.) to conserve this soft-shelled shrimp. which has been the primary product of the town.

Called the Gentlemen’s Agreement, it states that gathering of aramang is allowed only during daytime from 5:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., good weather, and when it is not gravid. It also states that harvest period is 5 to 7 days only with 15 days gap between periods, and that a meeting among gatherers should be conducted first before harvest to set price and estimate demand.

This agreement was reached to ensure high population of aramang as the production of this endemic species th,at thrives in the estuarine area of the Cagayan River plummeted in 1989 to 1993 due to indiscriminate gathering. And since the agreement was forged, aramang stocks rebounded and have not been threatened since then. In fact in 2008, production of this shrimp was recorded high at 4,460 metric tons, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics.

Aramang has always been the source of income of Aparrianos, so the government recognizes it as their product for the One-Town, One-Product program. Hundreds of them are employed in ancillary industries such as processing, drying, and trading.

One of them is Ricardo Umoso, vice chairman of the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Council and a multi-awarded fisherman. Thanks to his bounty harvest, he earns a handsome income that enables him to support the education of his children and some of his relatives.

Umoso owns two bannuars, a fishing outfit used to gather aramang. It is basically a drift filter net attached to two wooden poles fixed at the aft and fore starboard of the wooden boat, which drifts with the current. It reaches a depth of about 10 meters to 12 meters.

Fifteen fishermen staff one bannuar boat. Such number of crew is needed to counterbalance the boat and prevent it from tilting to one side and rolling over when there is abundant catch.

Umoso estimates harvest with one bannuar boat at 50 cans-the size of 14-kilogram cooking oil can-in one good day of operation, and that expenses for a five-day fishing trip is around P13,000. A can costs P300 to P375.

Fisherfolk prefer to sell aramang dry than fresh, especially when it’s sunny. Some of them would even transport fresh catch all the way to Ilocos Norte to sundry these when the weather Js inclement. Fresh aramang are also transported to Pangisinan for shrimp paste (bagoong) production although there are producers of this in Aparri.

A kilo of dried aramang costs P150, says fish and shrimp trader Zenaida dela Cruz of Brgy. Punta. She transports 2,000 kilos of dried aramang three times a month to Manila. Class A shrimps go to Japanese importers, while class B go to local shrimp cracker processors.

Like Umoso, dela Cruz earns well in aramang trading. With her income, she has afforded a nice concrete liouse, a Forward cargo truck, and send her children to school.

Crizelda Alzaga, meanwhile, is a restaurateur that has succeeded in processing aramang into various products such as bagoong, shrimp seasoning, burong alamang, dried or powdered aramang, and aramang noodles among many others. What’s interesting about her is that this owner of Crizelda’s Foodhouse has started her shrimp processing just last year.

Assisted by the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry, Alzaga’s products with the brand name Crizelda’s will land on the shelves of supermarkets of big malls in Manila soon.. She also plans to export her products.

Well, that’s something that Aparrianos should look forward. But as of now, they pay tribute to the benefits they have been getting from this marketable shrimp through the celebration of Aramang Festival. The 2nd Aramang Festival was held last May 1 to 11 in time with the Aparri town’s fiesta.

By Max Prudencio