National Fisheries Research and Development Institute

What National Fisheries Research and Development Institute does

The National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) is the lead fisheries research agency of the Philippines, established in 1976 under the Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (RA 8435). It serves as the scientific R&D arm of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and operates four national centers — the Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (FFRDC) in Batangas, the Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center (MFRDC) in Eastern Samar, the Brackishwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (BFRDC) in Lanao del Norte, and the Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC) in Nueva Ecija — supported by the Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory (GFL), the Integrated Research Laboratory Division (IRLD), and a Training Division at its Quezon City headquarters.

The institute's core technology stack is built on biotechnology, genetics, and molecular biology: DNA barcoding and forensic traceability, genome sequencing (including Sardinella spp. and blue swimming crab), molecular immunology for disease diagnostics, population connectivity studies, and breed/strain development for aquaculture. Programs span the National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP), HatchPro (hatchery production), MARIDeP (mariculture R&D), TechKnowPro (technology transfer), FishCoRe (coastal resiliency), DSIP (salt industry), ABS-TBI (technology business incubation), and the STrainS internship program reaching 19 universities. The GFL maintains a global DNA reference library for seafood monitoring and represents a unique scientific asset in the Philippines.

NFRDI operates as a government research entity funded primarily through annual DA appropriations supplemented by grants from DOST, US NSF-PIRE, ICARS, and international partners. Services including DNA-based species identification are provided free of charge to BFAR, law enforcement agencies, and other government stakeholders. The institute has no commercial revenue stream in the traditional sense; economic value is generated through technology transfer, fingerling dispersal, training programs, and policy support. Customer concentration is overwhelmingly governmental and academic, including BFAR, DENR, DOST, LGUs, SUCs, and HEIs. The institute recently achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification and has received six consecutive COA Unmodified Opinions, evidencing institutional governance maturity.

Name

National Fisheries Research and Development Institute

Legal name

Department of Agriculture - National Fisheries Research and Development Institute

Website

https://nfrdi.da.gov.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) is the Philippine government's lead fisheries research agency, operating four national centers and a Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory to deliver biotechnology, stock assessment, disease diagnostics, and technology transfer services to BFAR, LGUs, and fish farmers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Research and Development

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture & Fish Health Services (AFAEANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Fisheries research
• Aquaculture development
• Genetic fingerprinting services
• Fisheries stock assessment
• Fisheries biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Quezon City

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: As a government research institute under the Department of Agriculture, NFRDI operates primarily through annual government appropriations and budgetary allocations for R&D activities. Services including DNA-based identification for law enforcement agencies are provided free of charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) is the lead fisheries research agency of the Philippines under the Department of Agriculture. It conducts scientific research and develops technologies across freshwater, marine, brackishwater, and biotechnology fisheries through four national centers and a Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory. The institute provides R&D programs, DNA-based species identification, fish fingerling production technologies, stock assessment data, capacity building, and extension services to fish farmers, government agencies, and academic institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NSAP (National Stock Assessment Program): Fisheries R&D program focused on stock assessment of fishery resources
• HatchPro
• MARIDeP
• TechKnowPro
• FishCoRe
• STrainS
• FiSearch
• The Philippine Journal of Fisheries (TPJF)

Products and services

• NSAP (National Stock Assessment Program)
• HatchPro (Hatchery Production Program)
• MARIDeP (Mariculture and Aquafarming Systems R&D Program)
• TechKnowPro (Technology and Knowledge Promotion)
• DSIP (Development of Salt Industry Project)
• FishCoRe (Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency Project)
• ABS-TBI (Aqua Business School - Technology Business Incubation)
• Fisheries Biotechnology R&D Program
• Freshwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (FFRDC)
• Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center (MFRDC)
• Brackishwater Fisheries Research and Development Center (BFRDC)
• Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC)
• Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory (GFL)
• NSAP Interactive Atlas

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 97.5% hatching rate in climbing perch breeding using optimized hatchery protocols
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Pukyong National University (PKNU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026Philippines-Korea fisheries biotechnology collaboration kickoff mission and coordination meeting. PKNU representatives conducted kickoff activities as part of the groundwork for major bilateral collaboration in fisheries biotechnology research.
• Korea Coastal Management Association (KCMA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026Philippines-Korea fisheries biotechnology collaboration with kickoff mission and coordination meeting in the country. KCMA joined PKNU in launching the groundwork for bilateral cooperation.
• 19 Universities (STrainS Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2026NFRDI's STrainS Program welcomed 117 students from 19 universities across the Philippines for internship, providing real-life work learning experience and supporting student professional development.
• Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISATU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research with FBC on strengthening aquatic disease diagnostics through molecular detection, including genome sequencing of Streptococcus agalactiae from infected tilapia.
• Mindanao State University (MSU) CampusescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-campus collaboration for mudfish breeding and culture technology project in BARMM, including MSU-Naawan and other campuses providing technical expertise and research support.
• International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and collaboration for AMR surveillance study integrating antimicrobial resistance monitoring with climate-smart farming practices and stakeholder engagement, in collaboration with BFAR.
• Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution relationship with FBC; collaborative AMR surveillance study; joint implementation of Aquatic Wildlife Management Fund projects including marine ornamental fish assessment.
• DA Biotechnology Program Office (BPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates with FBC for capacity-building programs, training courses (Biotechnology 101, Bioinformatics 101), and technology transfer efforts under the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotechnology Program.
• Central Luzon State University (CLSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC) located within CLSU Compound in Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. Collaborative academic programs including affiliate professorship.
• Smithsonian InstitutionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on inventory and DNA barcoding of commercially important fishes of the Philippines for food security and biodiversity, implemented through the National Museum of Natural History.
• US National Science Foundation - PIREmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for International Research and Education funding project on Centennial Genetic and Species Changes in Philippine Epicenter of Marine Biodiversity, implemented with Smithsonian Institution and Siliman University.
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in Philippine Aquatic Red List Committee (PARLC) for national red listing of marine ornamental fishes, supporting conservation and biodiversity assessment.
• Department of Science and Technology (DOST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch funding partner including DOST-funded study on cercarial production in tropical freshwater ecosystems with UST and University of Shiga Prefecture.
• Local Government Units (LGUs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative implementation of mariculture park assessments, fisheries stock assessments, and technology transfer programs at local level across various municipalities.
• University of Santo TomascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership including faculty appointment for Dr. Santos at Graduate School, and collaborative research on cercarial production and other molecular studies.
• TÜV SÜD PSB Philippines IncorporatedsupportingOthersExternal audit and certification body that awarded NFRDI with ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management systems.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Broad incumbents

• IFREMER: France's national institute for ocean and fisheries research, combining aquaculture R&D, marine biodiversity, and ocean science. IFREMER's integrated approach to fisheries biotechnology, stock assessment, and marine genetic resources is structurally analogous to NFRDI's four-center model, but at substantially greater scale and with significant European commercial partnerships.
• Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD): The DOST council that funds and coordinates agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources R&D in the Philippines, including the Elvira O. Tan Award program that has recognized NFRDI scientists. PCAARRD operates one tier above NFRDI as a funding and policy-setting body, making it both a funder and a programmatic peer for national-level fisheries research prioritization.
• FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division: The global policy and technical reference body for fisheries and aquaculture within the United Nations. While operating at a fundamentally different scale, FAO sets the international frameworks (e.g., Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries) that shape NFRDI's mandate and provides a peer reference for fisheries governance and sustainability methodologies.

Direct peers

• WorldFish (CGIAR): An international non-profit fisheries and aquaculture research center within CGIAR. WorldFish operates similar R&D programs on aquaculture breeding, fish genetics, and sustainable fisheries management targeting developing countries — directly comparable to NFRDI's HatchPro, Fisheries Biotechnology R4D, and NSAP programs. Both address food security in tropical developing-country contexts.
• Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC): An inter-governmental fisheries research body operating in Southeast Asia. SEAFDEC's Aquaculture Department and Marine Fishery Resources Development Department conduct applied fisheries R&D, hatchery development, and stock assessment — closely paralleling NFRDI's mandate across marine, brackishwater, and freshwater domains. Both serve as regional applied science arms for their respective member governments.
• National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS, Korea): A Korean government fisheries research institute under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. NIFS conducts applied R&D on aquaculture breeding, fish disease management, and fisheries resources — a national-level mandate directly comparable to NFRDI. The Philippines-Korea collaboration with Pukyong National University and KCMA links NFRDI to NIFS's regional network.

Regional players

• Mindanao State University (MSU) — Naawan and other campuses: A partner university system collaborating with NFRDI on mudfish breeding and culture technology projects in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. MSU's fisheries programs and field stations in southern Mindanao complement NFRDI's brackishwater and marine work and serve as a regional extension node — a domestic peer operating in adjacent geography with overlapping mandate.
• Central Luzon State University (CLSU) — College of Fisheries: The host institution of NFRDI's Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC) within the CLSU compound in Nueva Ecija. CLSU operates the premier fisheries academic program in the Philippines and conducts complementary aquaculture and aquaculture disease research, including joint affiliation of NFRDI scientists as adjunct faculty.
• Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR): The regulatory and extension counterpart of NFRDI under the Philippine Department of Agriculture. While BFAR handles fisheries regulation, licensing, and on-the-ground extension, NFRDI provides the underlying R&D — making them a tightly coupled research-to-implementation ecosystem. BFAR is NFRDI's primary host partner and customer for DNA barcoding services.

Emerging players

• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Laboratories of Analytical Biology: An international partner on NFRDI's DNA barcoding inventory of commercially important Philippine fishes, implemented through the US NSF-PIRE project on marine biodiversity. The Smithsonian's molecular biology capabilities overlap with NFRDI-GFL's reference library development, making it a peer in applied biodiversity genomics and seafood traceability research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DA_NFRDI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7IjciYEdNEK0VFGD23PRCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/nfrdiphilippines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nfrdiph

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Fisheries Research and Development Institute