The Ilocos Region recorded 23,794.10 metric tons of aquaculture fisheries production in the first quarter of 2022. The figure is 15.36 percent lower than the first quarter 2021 output. The lower production in Pangasinan, La Union, and Ilocos Norte pulled down the overall output of the region. On the other hand, only Ilocos Sur posed increase in production at 7.35 percent higher compared in the same quarter last year.

The majority of the region’s aquaculture fisheries production came from the province of Pangasinan. The province covered 94.25 percent of the region's overall production at 22,426.83 metric tons. Next to Pangasinan is the province of La Union which recorded 1,033.63 metric tons during the period. Lastly, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, combined, contributed 1.41 percent to the region's overall production.

Marine Cage has the most production among the types of aquafarms in Ilocos Region with 15,082.82 metric tons. It contributed 63.39 to the region’s aquaculture production. Brackishwater Fishpond was also a major contributor in the region’s aquaculture. Approximately 29.48 percent (7,014.89 metric tons) came from brackfishwater fishpond. Placing at the third spot, Freshwater Fishpond contributed 6.49 percent with a production of 1,537.75 metric tons. Other aquafarm types shared the remaking 0.67 percent of the total aquaculture production of the region.

Milkfish remained the top specie in aquaculture production in the Ilocos Region in the first quarter of 2022. The specie compromised 92.40 percent of the region's total aquaculture production while the rest contributed the remaining 7.60.  Other top species that contributed to the overall aquaculture include tilapia, tiger prawn, oyster, and siganid.

Aquaculture by Province

The total production of Pangasinan was 22,426.83 metric tons in the first quarter of 2022. Among that production, 194689.49 metric tons are from marine cages. Brackishwater fishponds also contributed more than a quarter of the province's total production. Also made it to the top producing aquafarm type in Pangasinan was Freshwater Fishpond, which produced 1330.16 metric tons or 5.93 percent of the total aquaculture production in the province. Other aquafarm types only garnered 76.14 metric tons.

The Bangus capital of the Philippines lived out its title by producing 20,945.82 metric tons of Milkfish, that is, 95.27 percent of the total milkfish production in the Ilocos Region. The next top specie in the province, Tilapia, produced only 5.84 percent of Milkfish production at 1223.95 metric tons.

More than half of the aquaculture production in La Union came from brackfishwater fishponds which were recorded at 603.73 metric tons. This was followed by marine cages with 388.05 metric tons. Only brackfish water fishpond and marine cage aqua farms were able to produce more than 50 metric tons in La Union. La Union, the number one producer of oysters in the region in that period, was able to produce 35.46 metric tons. Other aqua farms present in the province include marine pen, seaweed farm, brackishwater pen, brackishwater cage, and fishwater waterpond.

Milkfish, like in Pangasinan, is also the number one fish specie in the aquaculture production of La Union which was followed by oyster. However, the gap between the two products is huge with 952 metric tons difference. Also, among the top specie in the province was grouper.

In the year 2021, Ilocos Sur’s top aquafarm type in terms of aquaculture production was Brackishwater fishpond which is contrary to this year’s first quarter. The top aquafarm type in the first quarter of 2022 was freshwater fishpond producing 93.49 metric tons. Freshwater fishpond succeeded brackishwater fishpond with a 25.27 metric tons difference. Marine cage ranked third in the top aquafarm type which covers 2.97 percent (5.28 metric tons) of the province's aquaculture production.

Both Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte top specie was Tilapia. The province of Ilocos Sur produced 125.18 metric tons of Tilapia and followed by milkfish at 36.22 metric tons. Other fishes harvested in the province include Oysters, Siganids, Tiger prawns, Catfishes, Mudcrabs, and Mudfishes.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, First Quarter 2022 Fisheries Production Survey

In Ilocos Norte, by aquafarm type, freshwater fishpond has the biggest share in production with 69.10 percent (111.48 metric tons) followed by brackishwater cage with 14.18 percent (22.87 metric tons). On the other hand, brackishwater fishpond compromised 7.37 percent (11.89 metric tons) of the province's aquaculture production. Cumulatively, other aquafarm types which include Freshwater Cage, Small Farm Reservoir, Brackish Pen, and Rice Fish, cover 9.35 percent (15.09 metric tons) of the province’s production.

The dominant fish specie in the aquaculture in Ilocos Norte is tilapia. The province was able to produce 138.92 metric tons of tilapia. Milkfish succeeded catfish with a 10.74 metric tons difference. Other fish species in the province include Siganid, mudfish, Carp, and Freshwater Prawn but collectively produced less than 1 metric ton.

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