The volume of production in llocos Region was posted at 25,196.25 metric tons. This was 22.53 percent higher than the production of 20,562.67 metric tons in the same period in 2020. The provinces of llocos Sur and Pangasinan contributed to the increment of the region's production in the aquaculture subsector.

Bulk of the region's aquaculture production in 3'd quarter 2021 was contributed by Pangasinan with a share of 95.04 percent. This was followed by La Union of 3.62 percent, llocos Sur with 1.17 percent, and llocos Norte with 0.17 percent share.

The production of Pangasinan was 23,945.35 metric tons, higher by 26.34 percent than the output in 3d quarter 2O2O of 18,951.93 metric tons. Additional established cages in Sual, Pangasinan and early harvesting by some operators were noted in the province during the period.

Likewise, the aquaculture fisheries production of llocos Sur was higher by 10.67 percent, from 267.35 metrictons in 3'd quarter 2020lo 295.88 metric tons in 2021 of the same period. High survival rate and bigger sizes of aqua fishes were harvested in the province.

On the other hand, production output of llocos Norte and La Union decreased by 5.82 percent and29.73 percent, respectively. Lesser and/or late stockings was observed in said provinces as operators avoid losses during the period.

By ecosystem, marine cage contributed 71.43 percent share to the region's overall aquaculture production in 3'd quarter 2021. This was followed by brackishwater fishpond with 26.97 percent, freshwater fishpond with 0.86 percent, oyster with 0.61 percent, and mussel with 0.07 percent and others registered 0.06 percent share.

The dominant species in the aquaculture subsector of the llocos Region in the 3'd quarter 2021 were milkfish, tilapia, tiger prawn, oyster and mussel.

Milkfish dominated all other species, which contributed  96.52 percent of the total aquaculture production in Ilocos Region in the 3rd quarter of 2021. About 1.49 percent were tilapia, and the remaining 1.99 percent were shared by tiger prawn, oyster, mussel, and other species.

SGD. ATTY. SHEILA O. DE GUZMAN

Regional Director, RSSO I