La Union’s fisheries production grows in 2021

La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 2021 was recorded at 15,068.09 metric tons, an increase of 17.97 percent from the 12,772.35 metric tons production in 2020.

Among the fisheries subsectors, Aquaculture posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output in the province in 2021 with a share of 6,979.41 metric tons or 46.32 percent of the total fisheries production of the province. Municipal fisheries ranked second with 6,762.28 metric tons contributing 44.88 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 1,326.40 metric tons or 8.80 percent share.

In 2021, the top five species in terms of volume of production were: milkfish (bangus) with 5,996.99 metric tons (39.80 percent share); tilapia with 671.91 metric tons (4.46 percent share); oyster with 665.79 metric tons (4.42 percent share); threadfin bream (bisugo) with 608.53 metric tons (4.04 percent share); and slipmouth (sapsap) with 559.17 metric tons (3.71 percent share). 

Municipal Fisheries

The total municipal fisheries production in La Union increased by 31.87 percent from the estimated production of 5,128.01 metric tons in 2020 to 6,762.28 metric tons in 2021. This subsector was comprised of 89.67 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 10.33 percent production from inland municipal fisheries.

The volume of production from marine municipal fisheries went up by 38.79 percent from 4,369.14 metric tons in 2020 to 6,064.04 metric tons in 2021. Meanwhile, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries dropped by 7.99 percent from 758.87 metric tons in 2020 to 698.24 metric tons in 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 6,979.41 metric tons in 2021. This translates to an increase of 6.06 percent from the 6,580.81 metric tons production 2020.

Milkfish dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 2021 with  5,987.87 metric tons.  It was distantly followed by oyster with 499.49 metric tons. On the other hand, tilapia production  was recorded at 461.95 metric tons. Both milkfish and tilapia production had a single-digit percent increase of 4.16 percent from 5,748.69 metric tons in 2020 for milkfish and 6.30 percent from 434.56 metric tons in 2020 for tilapia. Meanwhile, oyster production had a double-digit percent increase of 42.50 percent from 350.52 metric tons in 2020.

Commercial Fisheries

The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 1,326.40 metric tons in 2021. It went up by 24.72 percent from 1,063.53 metric tons a year ago.

The top five major catch in La Union in 2021 were Slipmouth (Sapsap) with 107.94 metric tons, Hairtaill (Espada) with 106.89 metric tons, Indo-pacific mackerel (Hasa-hasa) with 95.14 metric tons, Threadfin bream (Bisugo) with 94.85 metric tons, and Indian mackerel (Alumahan) with 94.29 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 2021

The total value of all fisheries production in La Union in 2021 was PhP2, 104,771.71. This is 25.73 percent higher than its value a year ago of PhP1, 674,050.35.

In terms of value of production, municipal fisheries topped the three subsectors in 2021 with a share of 50.64 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province. The remaining 49.36 percent of the provincial total value of production was contributed by aquaculture with 41.40 percent share and commercial fisheries with 7.95 percent share.

All subsectors exhibited an increase in their respective value of fisheries production compared with their value of fisheries production in 2020. Municipal fisheries recorded an increase of 47.21 percent from PhP724, 079.81 in 2020 to PhP1, 065,920.09 in 2021. Commercial fisheries grew by 27.11 percent from PhP131, 694.26 to PhP167, 391.33 and Aquaculture with an increase of 6.50 percent from PhP818, 276.28 to PhP871, 460.29.

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