La Union’s fisheries production grows in 4^th Quarter 2021

La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 4^th quarter 2021 was recorded at 3,555.79 metric tons, an increase of 17.99 percent from the 3,013.73 metric tons production in 4^th quarter 2020. (Figure 1)

Among the fisheries subsectors, Municipal fisheries posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output in the province in 4^th quarter 2021 with a share of 2,166.14 metric tons or 60.92 percent of the total fisheries production of the province. Aquaculture ranked second with 873.56 metric tons contributing 24.57 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 516.09 metric tons or 14.51 percent share.

In 4^th quarter 2021, the top five species in terms of volume of production were: tilapia with 489.72 metric tons (13.77 percent share); milkfish (bangus) with 399.36 metric tons (11.23 percent share); cavalla (talakitok) with 225.24 metric tons (6.33 percent share); threadfin bream (bisugo) with 180.77 metric tons (5.08 percent share); and slipmouth (sapsap) with 175.74 metric tons (4.94 percent share). 

Municipal Fisheries

The total municipal fisheries production in La Union increased by 28.71 percent from the estimated production of 1,682.94 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2020 to 2,166.14 metric tons in the same quarter of 2021. This subsector was comprised of 91.90 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 8.10 percent production from inland municipal fisheries.

The volume of production from marine municipal fisheries went up by 42.33 percent from 1,398.55 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2020 to 1,990.60 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2021. On the contrary, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries dropped by 38.27 percent from 284.39 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2020 to 175.54 metric tons in 4^th 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 873.56 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2021. This translates to a decrease of 12.39 percent from the 997.10 metric tons production in 4^th quarter 2020. (Figure 4)

Tilapia dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 4^th quarter 2021 with 443.26  metric tons.  It was distantly followed by milkfish production  with 398.53 metric tons. Tilapia production had a double-digit percent increase of 14.46 percent from 387.26 metric tons in the same period of 2020 while milkfish  production had a double-digit decrease of 31.50 percent from its 581.80 metric tons output in the same period a year ago.

Commercial Fisheries
 

The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 516.09 metric tons in 4^th quarter 2021. It went up by 54.66 percent from 333.69 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 increases in 4^th quarter 2021
 

The total value of all fisheries production in La Union in 4^th quarter 2021 was PhP523,397.65. This is 14.98 percent higher than its value in the same quarter a year ago of PhP 455,197.20.

In terms of value of production, municipal fisheries topped the three subsectors in 4^th quarter 2021 with a share of 66.26 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province. The remaining 33.74 percent of the provincial total value of production was contributed by aquaculture with 21.17 percent share and commercial fisheries with 12.56 percent share. (Figure 6)

Commercial and municipal subsectors exhibited an increase in their respective value of fisheries production compared with their value of fisheries production in 4^th quarter 2020. Commercial fisheries recorded an increase of 56.52 percent from PhP42,015.33 in 4^th quarter 2020 to PhP65, 760.79 in 4^th quarter 2021 while municipal fisheries grew by 24.74 percent from PhP278, 026.42 to PhP346, 821.96. On the other hand, the value of aquaculture production decreased by 18.01 percent from PhP135,155.45 in 4^th quarter 2020 to PhP110, 814.90 in 4^th quarter 2021. 

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, Ph.D.
Chief Statistical Specialist

/MAQ/MFC