IP News

Filipino Inventor's Technology to be Used Commercially in Australia
September 20, 2007

A Filipino who invented technology that allows the shipment of live fish without water has signed a A$4-million (abut P168 million) contract with his Australian partners for the application of the technology on Australia's most frequently exported fishes. The technology allows fishes to be transported without water.

Inventor Bonifacio Comandante, Jr. is in Australia trying to perfect the technology for tuna, salmon, and rainbow trout, the top three Australian fishes for export to the United States and Japan. Australia is one of the biggest exporters of tuna to Japan. Mr. Comandante's waterless transport technology now allows local producers to export live fish to Japan and other fish-consuming countries at a competitive price. Water accounts for 75% of the shipment cost so if that is eliminated, producers could increase their volume of exports and profits exponentially.

Transporting fish without water is a two-step process that involves conditioning the fish - starving it for 24 hours, cleaning its stomach and setting a desired temperature - and dipping it in an organic Buhi (which means alive in the Visayan language) blend. Artificially putting a fish in a dormant state slows it metabolism and decreases its breathing rate. Mr. Comandante has tested 12 species of fish with his Buhi Blend, including groupers and tilapia. He has improved the hibernation period to about 22 hours.

Mr. Comandante's Australian partners have also agreed to finance the cost of his international patent application before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Edward C. Du, Mr. Comandante's Filipino partner, said Buhi International Group would only fully commercialize the invention once the international patent is issued by the United Nations agency. He said, "Our Australian partners will pay for the cost of the international patent. Once we get the patent, will give them commercial rights to apply the technology in selected countries," 

Mr. Du said his partner is testing his anti-stress salt solution on the three fish species. He said Mr. Comandante had managed to put the salmon to sleep for up to three hours and the rainbow trout for up to six hours. The inventor, he added, needs more time to extend the hibernation time.

(Source: Business World, 9 June 2005)

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