La Union’s fisheries production increases in 3rd quarter 2024
La Union’s total volume of fisheries production in 3rd quarter 2024 was recorded at 1,349.22 metric tons, an increase of 0.68 percent from the 1,340.12 metric tons production in 3rd quarter 2023. (Figure 1)
Among the fisheries subsectors, municipal fisheries posted the largest contribution to the fisheries output in the province in 3rd quarter 2024 with a share of 659.65 metric tons or 48.89 percent of the total fisheries production of the province. Aquaculture ranked second with 621.72 metric tons contributing 46.08 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 67.85 metric tons or 5.03 percent share. (Figure 2)
In 3rd quarter 2024, the top five species in terms of volume of production were: Milkfish (Bangus) with 535.17 metric tons (39.67 percent share) distantly followed by Yellowfin Tuna (Tambakol/Bariles) with 81.43 metric tons (6.04 percent share); Blue Crab (Alimasag) with 75.12 metric tons (5.57 percent share); Skipjack (Gulyasan) with 56.43 metric tons (4.18 percent share); and Threadfin Bream (Bisugo) with 49.14 metric tons (3.64 percent share).
Municipal Fisheries
The total municipal fisheries production in La Union went up by 15.76 percent from the estimated production of 569.82 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2023 to 659.65 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2024. This subsector was comprised of 91.40 percent production from marine municipal fisheries and 8.60 percent production from inland municipal fisheries.
Likewise, the volume of production from marine municipal fisheries grew by 21.26 percent from 497.23 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2023 to 602.95 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2024. On the contrary, the volume of production from inland municipal fisheries went down by 21.89 percent from 72.59 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2023 to 56.70 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2024.
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 621.72 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2024.This translates to a decrease of 5.11 percent from the 655.18 metric tons production in 3rd quarter 2023. (Figure 4)
Milkfish dominated the aquaculture production of the province in 3rd quarter 2024 with 534.67 metric tons. It was distantly followed by Tilapia and P. Vannamei production with 36.18 metric tons and 19.36 metric tons, respectively. Milkfish production
decreased by 6.90 percent from its production in the same period a year ago of 574.28 metric tons. Likewise, Tilapia production decreased by 42.43 percent from 62.85 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2023.
On the other hand, P. Vannamei production increased significantly from 0.01 metric tons in 3rd quarter last year.
Commercial Fisheries
The volume of production from commercial fisheries was posted at 67.85 metric tons in 3rd quarter 2024. It went down by 41.06 percent from 115.12 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 3rd quarter 2024
The total value of all fisheries production in La Union in 3rd quarter 2024 was PhP221,638.43. This is 6.24 percent higher than its value in the same quarter a year ago of PhP208,621.77.
In terms of value of production, municipal fisheries topped the three subsectors in 3rd quarter 2024 with a share of 53.82 percent to the total value of fisheries production in the province. The remaining 46.18 percent of the provincial total value of production was contributed by aquaculture with 40.66 percent share and commercial fisheries with 5.52 percent share. (Figure 6)
Municipal fisheries value of production exhibited an increase of 22.25 percent from PhP97,583.96 in 3rd quarter 2023 to PhP119,292.92 in 3rd quarter 2024. On the contrary, aquaculture recorded a decrease of 4.81 percent from PhP94,670.73 in 3rd quarter 2023 to PhP90,113.29 in 3rd quarter 2024. Commercial fisheries also recorded
Municipal fisheries value of production exhibited an increase of 22.25 percent from PhP97,583.96 in 3rd quarter 2023 to PhP119,292.92 in 3rd quarter 2024. On the contrary, aquaculture recorded a decrease of 4.81 percent from PhP94,670.73 in 3rd quarter 2023 to PhP90,113.29 in 3rd quarter 2024. Commercial fisheries also recorded a decline of 25.26 percent from PhP16,367.08 in the same period of 2023 to PhP12,232.22 in 3rd quarter 2024.
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, PhD
Chief Statistical Specialist
maq/mfc
