Aquaculture’s Visual Culture: Scientific Documentation and the Transformation of Freshwater

Abstract

The 1970s rise of aquaculture sparked rapid scientific, social, andecological transformations in Philippine freshwater landscapes. During thisperiod aquaculture research institutions used film cameras to documentbreakthroughs in fish farming, which were later published in annualreports and documentaries. This article focuses on the role of visualityin aquaculture’s historical rise. It argues that the research institutions’photographs of Laguna de Bay in the 1970s and 1980s reveal a desireto recast freshwater sites as efficient spaces for fish production. Using avisual studies framework, it reveals how aquaculture research institutionswere not just objective observers but also active participants in thetransformation of freshwater landscapes.

KEYWORDS: AQUACULTURE • VISUAL CULTURE • FISHING • MILKFISH • LAGUNA DE BAY