Aquaculture remains as the main source of fishery products in La Union in third quarter 2020

La Union’s total volume of fishery production in third quarter 2020 was 2,721.16 metric tons. It shows an increase of 71.12 percent from the production a year ago of 1,590.22 metric tons. By subsector, aquaculture remained as the main source of fishery production in the province for both third quarters of 2019 and 2020 with a share of 996.44 metric tons (62.66%) and 1,297.23 metric tons (47.67%) respectively. 

Municipal fishery subsector ranked second for both periods with a share to the total production of 26.18 percent (416.32 metric tons) inthird quarter 2019 and 40.63 percent (1,105.67metric tons) in third quarter 2020 or an increase of 165.58 percent in the volume of production. The municipal fishery subsector has two categories namely: marine municipal fisheries and inland municipal fisheries. Marine municipal fisheries category accounted 63.11 percent of the total volume of production for municipal fisheries products while 36.89 percent came from inland municipal fisheries category. Both categories showed an increasing trend from 2019 to 2020 with a computed percent change of 241.32 percent for marine municipal fisheries and 35.99 percent for inland municipal fisheries. Municipal fisheries data were gathered from administrative records of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), LGU-managed landing centers and traditional landing centers.

Commercial fisheries subsector had the smallest proportion to the total fishery volume of production in the province with 11.16 percent (177.46 metric tons) inthird quarter 2019 and 11.70 percent (318.26 metric tons) inthird quarter 2020. Data for commercial fisheries were obtained from LGU-managed fish landing centers, privately-managed fish landing centers and traditional fish landing centers.

Value of fishery production increases by 70.84 percent in third quarter 2020

The total value of all fishery production in La Union in third quarter 2020grewby 70.84percent fromPhP174, 225.52 in third quarter 2019 to PhP297, 641.34inthird quarter 2020.

Municipal fisheries lead the three sectors in terms of value of production in third quarter 2020 having a share of 45.84 percent of the total value of fishery production in the province. The remaining 54.16 percent of the provincial total value of production was shared by aquaculture with PhP136, 423.71 (41.29 percent share) and commercial fisheries with PhP38, 315.23 (12.87 percent share). All the three subsectors exhibit an increase in the value of fishery production compared with the same period last year. Municipal fisheries recorded anincreaseof 168.23 percent from PhP50, 861.21 in third quarter 2019 to PhP136, 423.71 in third quarter 2020. Similarly, value of production from commercial fisheries grew by 85.05 percent from PhP20,705.72 in third quarter 2019 to PhP38, 315.23 in third quarter 2020 together with the aquaculture with an increase of 19.72 percent from PhP102, 658.59 in third quarter 2019 to PhP122, 902.40 in third quarter 2020.

Volume of production of Milkfish tops among species

In terms of volume of production among species, Milkfish volume of production had the biggest contribution to the volume of production in the province in third quarter 2020 with 1,148.75 metric tons or 42.22 percent share.  It was distantly followed by Threadfin bream (Bisugo) with 238.05 metric tons (8.75percent share), Oyster with 219.60 metric tons (8.07 percent share), and Big-eyed scad (Matangbaka) with 105.23 metric tons (3.87 percent share).

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 Surveyis a quarterly survey that generates estimates of volume and value of production per aquafarm type and species for the subsector.

Quarterly Inland Fisheries Surveyis 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