Aquaculture is very common in the Philippines. In many parts of the archipelago, it has become very popular. Some of these farm-raised fishes that have become a staple food for the Filipinos are Bangus and Tilapia. However, some of these so-called staple foods are not necessarily safe or healthy for our body. The kinds of farming we have today are becoming more and more detached from the natural state of our ecology. Many animal farms have become contaminated with heavy metals and other toxins due to the kind of food they eat and also to the lack of proper sanitation. Many Filipino consumers are unaware of this, but nowadays many experts are also very active in educating the public about some of the important issues related to farm-raised food and how they’ve become detrimental for human consumption.
In the Philippines, tilapia is one of the most popular farm-raised fish. The reason is that they are very “economical” for the producer and very affordable for the consumer. They grow very quickly, they are adaptable and tolerant on a crowded set-up. In an article from Business World last November 12, 2018, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) encouraged the tilapia producers of the country to “develop” the market for tilapia. According to that article, BFAR National Director Eduardo B. Gongona said to the reporters, “Tilapia growing is well-developed. What we have to develop is the market.” “Producers want to produce more, but the problem is markets. We need to export. There is a lot of competition.” Mr. Gongona continued.
What does it mean? This means more genetic engineering and experimentation for tilapia. According to the same article, Mr. Gongona continued to state, “The genetics should be improved because what we have now is table tilapia. It should be bigger so it could be suitable for value-added activities.” However, this for sure will cause some Filipinos to raise their eyebrows, especially those who are against the GE technology. The reason is that many Filipinos these days are already aware of the many questionable aspects of genetic engineering being done on our food.
According to the group Greenpeace Philippines, “Genetic engineering of food is an inherently risky process. Scientists do not know the long-term effects of releasing these unpredictable foods into our environment and our diets. Yet, genetically engineered ingredients are freely entering our food without adequate safeguards in place and without explicit consumer consent and knowledge. In effect, the Filipino consumer is being unwittingly force-fed genetically engineered food in a long-term experiment whose impacts on people’s health and the environment remain largely unknown”.
In addition, it is already known here in the Philippines that eating tilapia, especially farm-raised ones, may cause more inflammation. According to one study by Wake Forest University School of Medicine, “farm-raised tilapia has very low levels of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acid and, perhaps worse, very high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids”. This combination could be potentially dangerous for patients with heart disease, asthma, arthritis, and other allergic and auto-immune diseases. Inflammation will cause “damage to blood vessels, the lung, heart, skin, joint tissues, and the digestive tract”.
Source: Tilapia markets underdeveloped despite strong Philippine production — BFAR