La Union’s fisheries production grows in 2020

La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 2020 was recorded at 12,772.35 metric tons, an increase of 11.43 percent from the 11,462.71 metric tons production in 2019.

By subsector, aquaculture posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output in the province in 2020 with a share of 6,580.81 metric tons or more than half (51.52%) of the total fisheries production of the province.

Municipal fisheries subsector ranked second with 5,128.01 metric tons contributing 40.15 percent to the total fisheries production of the province.  Commercial fisheries subsector had the smallest contribution to the total volume of production in the province with 1,063.53 metric tons or 8.33 percent share.

The top five species in terms of volume of production were Milkfish with 5,782.93 metric tons (45.28 percent share), Threadfin beam (Bisugo) with 655.58 metric tons (5.13 percent share), Tilapia with 608.89 metric tons (4.77 percent share), Oyster with 490.04 metric tons (3.84 percent share), and Cavalla (Talakitok) with 354.27 metric tons (2.77 percent share). 

 Municipal Fisheries

The total municipal fisheries production in La Union increased by 71.50 percent from the estimated production of 2,990.02 metric tons in 2019 to 5,128.01 metric tons in 2020. This subsector was comprised of 85.20 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 14.80 percent from inland municipal fisheries.

The volume of production from marine municipal fisheries went up by 68.77 percent from 2,588.79 metric tons in 2019 to 4,369.14 metric tons in 2020.   

Meanwhile, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries grew by 89.14 percent from 401.23 metric tons in 2019 to 758.87 metric tons in 2020. 

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 6,580.81metric tons in 2020. This translates to a decrease of 11.78 percent from the 7,459.28 metric tons production in 2019.

Milkfish dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 2020 with 5,748.69 metric tons.  It was distantly followed by Tilapia production  with 434.56 metric tons, and Oyster production with 350.52 metric tons. Among the top three aquaculture species, Oyster had a double-digit percent increase of 11.42 percent, while Milkfish and Tilapia had a double digit percent decrease of13.61 percent and 23.61 percent from their output a year ago. 

Commercial Fisheries

The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 1,063.53 metric tons in 2020. It went up by 4.95 percent compared with its level a year ago of 1,013.41 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 2020

The total value of all fisheries production in La Union in 2020 grew by 20.58 percent from PhP1,388,356.17 in 2019 to PhP1,674,050.35 in 2020.

Aquaculture topped the three subsectors in terms of value of production in 2020 with a share of 48.88 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province. The remaining 51.12percent of the provincial total value of production was contributed by municipal fisheries with PhP724,079.81 (43.25 percent share) and commercial fisheries with PhP131,694.26 (7.87 percent share).

Municipal fisheries and commercial fisheries subsectors exhibited an increase in their respective value of fisheries production compared with their value of fisheries production in 2019. Municipal fisheries recorded an increase of 91.64 percent from PhP378,623.38 in 2019 to PhP724,079.81 in 2020. Similarly, value of production from commercial fisheries grew by 12.32 percent from PhP117,246.63 in 2019 to PhP131,694.26 in 2020.  The value of aquaculture production was decreased by 8.31 percent from PhP892,486.16 in 2019 to PhP818,276.28 in 2020.

TECHNICAL NOTES

Aquaculture is a fishery operation involving all forms of raising and culturing of fish and other fishery species in fresh, brackish and marine water areas. The operation is comprised of activities from stocking to harvesting of species under controlled conditions in farming facility called aquafarm.

Aquaculture Production refers to the volume harvested from the aquafarm. It includes those species harvested in marketable/matured size and in fresh form.

Inland Municipal Fishing – the catching of fish, crustaceans, mollusks and other aquatic animals and plants in inland waters like lakes, rivers, dams, marshes, etc. using simple gears and fishing boats some of which are non-motorized with a capacity of less than three (3) gross tons, or fishing not requiring the use of fishing boats.

Landing Center is a place where the fish catch and other aquatic products are unloaded and traded. Traditional landing center is a type of landing center where fishermen could unload their catch and/or dock their fishing boats without any obligation or payment for the use of the place.

Quarterly Aquaculture Survey is a quarterly survey that generates estimates of volume and value of production per aquafarm type and species for the subsector.

Quarterly Inland Fisheries Survey is a survey on volume and price of fish by species, caught by households engaged in inland fishing. It gathers quarterly data with monthly catch from sample fishing households. Respondents are fishermen or any knowledgeable member of the sample household.

Quarterly Commercial Fisheries Survey (Traditional Landing Center) is a quarterly survey on the volume of fish unloading in traditional landing centers and the price of fish by species.  It gathers data on a quarterly basis but the information that is collected is about monthly fish unloading.

Quarterly Commercial Fisheries Survey (Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), Local Government Units (LGUs), Privately-Managed Landing Centers) is the gathering of data from the records of the PFDA, LGU and privately-managed landing centers. It is done on a quarterly basis but the information being collected is on each of the three months included in the reference quarter.

Quarterly Municipal Fisheries Survey (Traditional Landing Center) – is a survey on volume and price of fish, by species, unloaded by fishing boats three (3) gross tons or less. It gathers quarterly data for the entire sample landing center with information on monthly fish unloading.

Quarterly Municipal Fisheries Survey (Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), Local Government Units (LGUs), Privately-Managed Landing Centers) is gathering of data on volume and price of fish from administrative records of Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) and Local Government Units (LGU)-managed landing centers. It is done on a quarterly basis with information from three (3) month period.

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