FISHERIES production declined 0.5% year on year in the first quarter, driven by a decline in production in marine municipal fisheries, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
In a report, the PSA said fisheries output was 987.19 thousand metric tons (MT) from 992.33 thousand MT a year earlier.
“The decrease in production was noted in marine municipal fisheries, while commercial, inland municipal fisheries, and aquaculture reported increments in production during the period,” it said.
Commercial fisheries output was 188.92 thousand MT, up 10.7%. The segment’s output comprised 19.1% of fisheries production during the period.
The PSA said that aquaculture, which accounts for 55.3% of overall production, inched up 0.1%. Production during the three-month period was 546.4 thousand MT.
Inland municipal fisheries production rose 17.6% to 40.55 thousand MT. Its output was equivalent to 4.1% of overall fisheries production.
Meanwhile, marine municipal fisheries, which accounted for 21.4% of overall output, declined 12.4% year on year to 211.33 thousand MT.
Of the 20 major species, production fell for tamban, a type of herring (29.9%), milkfish or bangus (7.6%), bisugo (37.2%), blue crab or alimasag (29.5%), and seaweed (0.4%).
On the other hand, production increases were reported for skipjack or gulyasan (28.3%), tilapia (8.8%), frigate tuna or tulingan (29.6%), tunsoy, another type of herring (45.1%), and yellowfin tuna (13.3%). — Adrian H. Halili