The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch team had paid a visit to UP Visayas last May 15, 2024. They were welcomed by Chancellor Clement C. Camposano, VC for Research and Extension, Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap and the deans of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Science and the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Harold M. Monteclaro and Prof. Pepito Fernandez, Jr., respectively. 

Monterey Bay Aquarium started a strong foundation in the Seafood Watch Program in 1999 as a special exhibit on the impacts of seafood. The community found it useful and made it a permanent conservation program.  

Following the thriving years, they launched a project in the Philippines on wild-caught swimming crabs, which named the Philippines as the fourth largest producer of blue swimming crab and the second largest exporter of these species in the US. 

At present, they are working together in the implementation of the project, Socio-economic Baseline Study on Blue-swimming Crab Communities, Model Village Project, Philippines through University of the Philippines Visayas Foundation, Incorporated (UPVFI). This is in partnership with BFAR Region 6 and the LGUs of Concepcion, Iloilo and Manapla, Negros Occidental.

In this visit, the visitors were escorted by the UPV experts from CFOS Institute of Fisheries Policy and Development Studies on blue swimming crab, Dr. Liberty Napilan-Espectato, faculty; Ms. Ruby P. Napata, University Researcher I and Mr. Ariel S. Sefil, University Research Associate I. 

UPV is an ardent supporter and mover of sustainable seafood initiatives; partnering with teams with the same vision will lead to a more active system that will benefit the people and the planet.