La Union’s fisheries production grows in 1^st Quarter 2021

La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 1^st quarter 2021 was recorded at 3,865.66 metric tons, an increase of 32.70 percent from the 2,913.18 metric tons production in 1^st quarter 2020.

Among the fisheries subsectors, municipal fisheries posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output of the province in 1^st quarter 2021 with a share of 2,133.58 metric tons or 55.19 percent of the total fisheries production of the province.

Aquaculture ranked second with 1,543.31 metric tons contributing 39.92 percent to the total fisheries production of the province. Commercial fisheries had the smallest contribution to the total volume of production in the province with 188.77 metric tons or 4.88 percent share.

During 1^st quarter 2021, the top five species in terms of volume of production were milkfish (bangus) with 1,216.76 metric tons (31.48 percent share), oyster with 383.40 metric tons (9.92 percent share), yellowfin tuna (tambako/bariles) with 196.04 metric tons (5.07 percent share), threadfin bream (bisugo) with 152.90 metric tons (3.96 percent share), and snapper (maya-maya) with 127.67 metric tons (3.30 percent share). 

Municipal Fisheries

The total municipal fisheries production in La Union increased by 28.88 percent from the estimated production of 1,655.47 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2020 to 2,133.58 metric tons the same quarter of 2021. This subsector comprised 86.20 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 13.80 percent inland municipal fisheries.

The volume of production from marine municipal fisheries went up by 20.75 percent from 1,523.19 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2020 to 1,839.23 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021. Meanwhile, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries grew by 122.52 percent from 132.28 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2020 to 294.35 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021.

Municipal fisheries data were gathered from administrative records of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), Local Government Unit (LGU) - managed landing centers, and traditional landing centers.

Aquaculture

The aquaculture production in La Union was posted at 1,543.31 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021. This translates to an increase of 41.07 percent from the 1,093.98 metric tons production in 1^st quarter 2020.

Milkfish dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 1^st  quarter 2021 with 1,216.76  metric tons.  It was distantly followed by oyster production  with 323.38 metric tons. The oyster and milkfish productions had a double-digit percent increase of 90.25 and 38.46 percent, respectively, from their output in the same period a year ago.

Commercial Fisheries

The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 188.77 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021. It went up by 15.29 percent compared with its level in the same period a year ago of 163.73 metric tons.

Data for commercial fisheries were obtained from LGU-managed fish landing centers, privately-managed fish landing centers and traditional fish landing centers.

Value of fisheries production in La Union increases in 1^st quarter 2021

The total value of all fisheries production in La Union in 1^st quarter 2021 was recorded at PhP500,007.00 which was 29.74 percent higher than its value in the same quarter of last year at PhP385,388.84.

The municipal fisheries topped the three subsectors in terms of value of production in 1^st quarter 2021 with a share of PhP309,060.76 or 61.81 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province.  Meanwhile, the value of aquaculture production was recorded at PhP165,820.96 (33.16 percent share) and value of commercial fisheries production at PhP25,125.28 (5.02 percent share).

All the three subsectors exhibited an increase in their respective value of fisheries production in 1^st quarter 2021 compared with their corresponding figures in 1^st quarter 2020.  The value of municipal fisheries production grew by 39.26 percent from PhP221,937.03 in 1^st quarter 2020. Similarly, the value of aquaculture production increased by of 16.17 percent from PhP142,740.12 while the value of commercial fisheries production went up by 21.31 percent from PhP20,711.69 in 1^st quarter 2020.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The Fisheries Production Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is divided into four major fisheries surveys. These are the Quarterly Commercial Fisheries Survey (QCFS), Quarterly Municipal Fisheries Survey (QMFS), Quarterly Inland Fisheries Survey (QIFS) and Quarterly Aquaculture Survey (QAqS). The commercial and municipal fisheries surveys aim to provide quarterly data on volume and value of fish production by species, by region, and by province while the aquaculture survey is intended to generate quarterly data on volume and value of cultured species by environment, by type of aquafarm, by region, and by province.

Concepts and Definitions:

Aquaculture – fishery operation involving all forms of raising and culturing of fish and other fishery species in marine, brackish and freshwater environment. Examples are fishponds, fish pens, fish cages, mussel, oyster, seaweed farms and hatcheries.

Aquafarm – the farming facilities used in the culture or propagation of aquatic species including fish, mollusk, crustaceans, and aquatic plants for purposes of rearing to enhance production.

Brackishwater – mixture of seawater and freshwater with salinity that varies with the tide. Example are estuaries, mangroves, and mouths of rivers where seawater enters during high tide.

Commercial Fishing – the catching of fish with the use of fishing boats with a capacity of more than three (3) gross tons for trade, business or profit beyond subsistence or sports fishing.

Fisheries – all activities relating to the act or business of fishing, culturing, preserving, processing, marketing, developing, conserving and managing aquatic resources and the fishery areas including the privilege to fish or take aquatic resources thereof (RA 8550).

Fisheries Sector – the sector engaged in the production, growing, harvesting, processing, marketing, developing, conserving and managing aquatic resources and fishing areas.

Fish Cage – stationary or floating fish enclosure made of synthetic net wire/bamboo screen or other materials set in the form of an inverted mosquito net (“hapa” type) with or without cover with all sides either tied to poles staked to the water bottom or with anchored floats for aquaculture purposes.

Fishing Gear – any instrument or device and its accessories utilized in taking fish and other fishery species.

Fishing Grounds – areas in any body of water where fish and other aquatic resources congregate and become the target of capture.

Fish Pen – an artificial enclosure constructed within a body of water for culturing fish and fishery/aquatic resources made up of bamboo poles closely arranged in an enclosure with wooden materials, screen or nylon netting to prevent an escape of fish.

Fishpond – a body of water (artificial or natural) where fish and other aquatic products are cultured, raised or cultivated under controlled conditions. This is a land-based type of aquafarm. Note that the setting-up of fish cages in ponds does not make the operation of a fish cage and at the same time a fishpond.

Freshwater – water without salt or marine origins, such as generally found in lakes, rivers, canals, dams, reservoirs, paddy fields, and swamps.

Inland Municipal Fishing – the catching of fish, crustaceans, mollusks and all other aquatic animals and plants in inland water like lakes, rivers, dams, marshes, etc. using simple gears and fishing boats some of which are non-motorized with a capacity of three gross tons or less; or fishing not requiring the use of fishing boats.

Landing Center – a place where the fish catch and other aquatic products are unloaded and traded.

Municipal Fishing – covers fishing operation carried out with or without the use of a boat weighing three gross tons or less.

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist