La Union’s fisheries production grows in 1^st Quarter 2022

La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 1^st quarter 2022 was recorded at 4,030.44 metric tons, an increase of 4.26 percent from the 3,865.66 metric tons production in 1^st quarter 2021. (Figure 1)

Among the fisheries subsectors, municipal fisheries posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output in the province in 1^st quarter 2022 with a share of 2,793.52 metric tons or 69.31 percent of the total fisheries production of the province. Aquaculture ranked second with 1,033.63 metric tons contributing 25.65 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 203.29 metric tons or 5.04 percent share.

In 1^st quarter 2022, the top five species in terms of volume of production were: Milkfish (bangus) with 987.57 metric tons (24.50 percent share); Threadfin Bream (bisugo) with 198.89 metric tons (4.93 percent share); Slipmouth (sapsap) with 181.47 metric tons (4.50 percent share); Spanish Mackerel (tanigue) with 162.26 metric tons (4.03 percent share); and Grouper (lapu-lapu) with 161.07 metric tons (4.00 percent share). 

 Municipal Fisheries

The total municipal fisheries production in La Union improved by 30.93 percent from the estimated production of 2,133.58 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021 to 2,793.52 metric tons in the same quarter of 2022. This subsector was comprised of 94.65 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 5.35 percent production from inland municipal fisheries.

 The volume of production from marine municipal fisheries went up by 43.76 percent from 1,839.23 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021 to 2,644.05 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2022. On the contrary, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries dropped by 49.22 percent from 294.35 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2021 to 149.47 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2022.

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 1,033.63 metric tons in 1^st   quarter 2022. This translates to a decrease of 33.03 percent from the 1,543.31 metric tons production in 1^st  quarter 2021. (Figure 4)

Milkfish dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 1^st quarter 2022 with 987.46 metric tons.  It was distantly followed by Oyster and Grouper production with 35.46 metric tons and 2.69 metric tons, respectively. Grouper production had a triple-digit percent increase of 827.59 percent from 0.29 metric tons in the same period of 2021 while Milkfish  and Oyster production had  double-digit decreases of 18.85 percent and 89.03 percent from their respective outputs of 1,216.76 metric tons and 35.46 metric tons in the same period a year ago.

Commercial Fisheries

The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 203.29 metric tons in 1^st quarter 2022.  It went up by 7.69 percent from 188.77 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 1^st quarter 2022

The total value of all fisheries production in La Union in 1^st quarter 2022 was PhP695, 091.95. This is 38.99 percent higher than its value in the same quarter a year ago of PhP500,095.76.

In terms of value of production, municipal fisheries topped the three subsectors in 1^st quarter 2022 with a share of 76.03 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province. The remaining 23.97 percent of the provincial total value of production was contributed by aquaculture with 19.96 percent share and commercial fisheries with 4.01 percent share. (Figure 6)

Municipal and commercial subsectors exhibited an increase in their respective value of fisheries production compared with their value of fisheries production in 1^st quarter 2021. Municipal fisheries recorded an increase of 71.01 percent from PhP309,060.76 in 1^st quarter 2021 to PhP528, 522.46 in 1^st quarter 2022 while commercial fisheries grew by 10.89 percent from PhP25,125.28 to PhP27,861.08. On the other hand, the value of aquaculture production decreased by 16.40 percent from PhP165,909.72 in 1^st quarter 2021 to PhP138,708.41 in 1^st quarter 2022.

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