Fish output growth lower in Q2 – PSA
Credit to Author: EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ| Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:18:36 +0000
Fish production in the country managed to grow by only 0.38 percent to 1.1 million metric tons (MT) in the second quarter of 2019 from its year-ago level, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.
The second quarter growth is lower compared to the 0.9-percent expansion in the first quarter of the year. It is also lower compared to the 0.9-percent forecast set by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In its latest Fisheries Situation Report, the PSA said production declines were seen in commercial fisheries and aquaculture at a rate of 2.4 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively. The municipal fisheries subsector, however, increased by 4.3 percent.
Fish yielded by commercial fisheries, accounting for 24.6 percent of the total output, reached 280,810 MT, down 2.4 percent from 287,680 MT in the same period last year.
On the other hand, municipal fisheries contributed 309,860 MT, up 4.3 percent from last year’s 297,050 MT. Of this, 87.2 percent came from marine municipal fisheries while inland fisheries contributed the rest. Municipal fisheries contributed 27.2 percent of the total fish production.
Meanwhile, aquaculture production slightly dropped by 0.3 percent to 548,390 MT from 550,010 MT last year. The subsector, however, took the largest share of 48.1 percent of total fisheries.
During the three-month period, skipjack, seaweed and milkfish were among the seven major species that saw declines in output year-on-year. They fell 5.6 percent, 2.9 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively.
Posting improved production, PSA said, are yellowfin tuna (33.4 percent), round scad (10.7 percent), tiger prawn (4.6 percent) and tilapia (0.6 percent).
Based on PSA’s first quarter report on the performance of Philippine agriculture, the fisheries subsector generated P74.7 billion, contributing 17.41 percent to the total agricultural production from April to June.
To boost local fish production, BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona earlier said his department would continue to maintain the 60-percent production in captured fisheries while improving the 40 percent from aquaculture farming, “so that by next year, the agency will continue positive trend in production.”