La Union’s fisheries production declines in 2^nd quarter 2024

La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 2^nd quarter 2024 was recorded at 3,547.15 metric tons, a decrease of 32.11 percent from the 5,224.65 metric tons production in 2^nd quarter 2023. (Figure 1)

Among the fisheries subsectors, aquaculture posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output in the province in 2^nd quarter 2024 with a share of 3,022.45 metric tons or 85.21 percent of the total fisheries production of the province. Municipal fisheries ranked second with 468.59 metric tons contributing 13.21 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 56.10 metric tons or 1.58 percent share. (Figure 2)

In 2^nd quarter 2024, the top five species in terms of volume of production were: Milkfish (Bangus) with 1,753.60 metric tons (49.44 percent share) distantly followed by P. Vannamei with 451.53 metric tons (12.73 percent share); Grouper (Lapu-lapu) with 414.70 metric tons (11.69 percent share); Tilapia with 220.82 metric tons (6.23 percent share); and Tiger Prawn with 127.65 metric tons (3.60 percent share).

Municipal Fisheries

The total municipal fisheries production in La Union went down by 1.12 percent from the estimated production of 473.92 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2023 to 468.59 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024.This subsector was comprised of 84.26 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 15.74 percent production from inland municipal fisheries.

Likewise, the volume of production from marine municipal fisheries dropped by 4.10 percent from 411.73 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2023 to 394.84 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024. On the contrary, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries went up by 18.57 percent from 62.20 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2023 to 73.75 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024.

Aquaculture

The aquaculture production in La Union was posted at 3,022.45 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024. This translates to a decrease of 34.24 percent from the 4,596.27 metric tons production in 2^nd quarter 2023. (Figure 4)

Milkfish dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 2^nd quarter 2024 with 1,753.47 metric tons. It was distantly followed by P. Vannamei and Grouper production with 451.53 metric tons and 412.67 metric tons, respectively. Milkfish production decreased by 30.75 percent from its production in the same period a year ago of 2,532.06 metric tons. Likewise, Grouper production decreased by 47.44 percent from 785.10 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2023 to 412.67 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024.

On the other hand, P. Vannamei production increased by 1.33 percent from 445.62 metric tons in 2^nd quarter last year to 451.53 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024.

Commercial Fisheries

The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 56.10 metric tons in 2^nd quarter 2024. It went down by 63.68 percent from 154.45 metric tons in the same period a year ago. (Figure 5)

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 decreases in 2^nd quarter 2024

The total value of all fisheries production in

La Union in 2^nd quarter 2024 was PhP754,870.53. This is 48.22 percent lower than its value in the same quarter a year ago of PhP1,457,875.03.

In terms of value of production, aquaculture topped the three subsectors in 2^nd quarter 2024 with a share of 88.97 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province. The remaining 11.03 percent of the provincial total value of production was contributed by municipal fisheries with 9.58 percent share and commercial fisheries with 1.44 percent share. (Figure 6)

All subsectors exhibited a decrease in their respective value of fisheries production compared with their value of fisheries production in 2^nd quarter 2023. Aquaculture recorded a decrease of 50.50 percent from PhP1,356,735.30 in 2^nd quarter 2023 to PhP671,612.50 in 2^nd quarter 2024. Municipal fisheries decreased by 5.84 percent

from PhP76,836.56 in 2^nd quarter 2023 to PhP72,352.91 in 2^nd quarter 2024 while commercial fisheries decreased by 55.13 percent from PhP24,303.17 in 2^nd quarter 2023 to PhP10,905.12 in 2^nd quarter 2024.

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 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 gross tons or less. It gathers quarterly data for the entire sample landing center with information on monthly fish unloading.

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

SGD. DANITES E. TEÑIDO, PhD 
Chief Statistical Specialist

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