National AMR context
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major challenge in Philippine aquaculture, where antimicrobials are widely used to manage disease outbreaks in shrimp, tilapia, and milkfish. These three commodities contribute significantly to fisheries production and rural livelihoods, yet surveillance at the hatchery level remains underdeveloped. While frameworks such as the Philippine National Action Plan to Combat AMR (PNAP), Good Aquaculture Practices (GAqP), and the National Veterinary Drug Residue Control Program exist, hatcheries, where antimicrobial use (AMU) often begins, are poorly monitored. This gap is critical because hatcheries act as reservoirs for resistance, which may be transferred downstream to grow-out farms and even to human and environmental bacteria.
Problem
The Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, experiencing stronger typhoons, unpredictable rainfall, and increasing temperature extremes that disrupt fisheries and aquaculture systems. Climate variability directly affects water quality, increases pathogen virulence, and amplifies the frequency of fish kills and disease outbreaks, which in turn drive emergency antimicrobial use. Yet current AMR surveillance seldom integrates climate indicators such as rainfall, temperature, and dissolved oxygen into monitoring frameworks. The absence of hatchery-level AMR data, compounded by a lack of climate-informed interventions, leaves policymakers and hatchery operators with insufficient evidence to mitigate disease and resistance risks.
Project overview
This project will strengthen AMR mitigation in Philippine aquaculture by combining hatchery-level AMU/AMR surveillance with climate-informed analysis and a pilot intervention. Structured surveys, laboratory analyses, and environmental datasets from PAGASA and NASA Giovanni will be used to identify AMR hotspots and assess seasonal drivers of disease. Historical datasets from BFAR, including disease reports submitted to WOAH, and archived AMR isolates from NFRDI will provide temporal context. A hatchery-level carbon footprint assessment will also be undertaken to evaluate the sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) contributions. As a climate-smart intervention, aquashading will be piloted in tilapia hatcheries to stabilize water quality, reduce thermal stress, improve fry survival, and potentially lower antimicrobial reliance.
Solutions and outcomes
The project will generate the first integrated dataset linking antimicrobial use, resistance patterns, and climate variability in Philippine hatcheries, while also benchmarking hatchery-level carbon footprints. Aquashading will be validated as a low-cost intervention to mitigate climate stress and reduce antimicrobial dependence in tilapia hatcheries. The project will deliver evidence-based policy recommendations aligned with PNAP and FAO-ATLASS priorities, tailored IEC materials, and targeted regional training for hatchery operators, laboratory staff, and regulators. By focusing on shrimp, tilapia, and milkfish—commodities central to national food security and export markets—the project will provide context-specific strategies to reduce AMR risks, improve climate resilience, and strengthen the sustainability of Philippine aquaculture in the face of climate change.
Photo credit: “Bangus/Milkfish” by Shubert Ciencia, CC BY 2.0
