Aquaculture production in Ilocos Region increased during the third quarter of 2022. The production growth rate increased by 22.87 percent from 25,196.35 metric tons in the third quarter of 2021 to 30,958.20 metric tons.  The increase was the result of new aquafarms in Pangasinan. Ilocos Norte aquaculture production was stable at 43.50 metric tons for the last two years. Meanwhile, both Ilocos Sur and La Union posted a decrease in their production by 8.50 percent and 17.48 percent, respectively.  Pangasinan, the province with the most contribution to aquaculture production in the region, also posted an increase in their production at 24.83 percent amounting to 5,946.03 metric tons more than the 2021 third quarter’s production.

Table 1. Volume of Aquaculture Production by Province,
Ilocos Region: Third Quarter 2021 and 2022

Pangasinan dominates the aquaculture production of Ilocos Region covering 96.55 percent of harvest.  The other provinces in the region cumulatively contributed less than 4 percent.

Marine cages all over the region was able to produce 24,532.39 metric tons of fish product covering 79.24 percent of the region’s aquaculture production. Meanwhile, brackishwater fishponds’ production was at 5,975.37 metric tons covering 19.30 percent. The other aqua farm types only covered less than 1.5 percent.

Pangasinan toped brackish fishpond, freshwater fishpond, marine cage and seaweed farm in terms of production. La Union was the number one producer in brackishwater pen, marine pen and oyster farm. Meanwhile, most of the freshwater pen and freshwater cage production were from Ilocos Sur while brackishwater cage and small farm reservior were from Ilocos Norte. In the Ilocos region there were no harvest from rice fish during the third quarter of 2022.

The top species in terms of aquaculture production in the region were Milkfish at 30,187.26 metric tons, Tilapia at 400.00 metric tons, and Tiger Prawn at 268.95 metric tons.

SGD. ATTY. SHEILA O. DE GUZMAN
Regional Director, RSSO I