Aquaculture pushes Guimaras fishery to 2.98 pct growth

Guimaras’ total fish production gained 2.98 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 on the back of aquaculture fishing which contributed an average of 45.91 percent during the 4rth quarters of the years 2018-2020.

Despite the slump in the municipal fishing, total fish production improved by 51.4 metric tons (MT) during the 4th quarter of 2020 at 1,778.89 MT, from 1,727.49 MT in Q4 2019.

Production in Q4 2019 increased by 1.68 percent or 28.62 metric tons more than the Q4 2018 yield.

“Aquaculture production spiked by 12.04 percent in Q4 2020, the highest mark up since Q4 of 2018 influenced by brackishwater fishpond outputs which significantly increased by 32.46 percent contributing 66.01 percent to the total aquaculture fishing and the marine cage (MC) outputs which grew by 40.36 percent sharing 16.19 percent to the provincial total aquaculture fishing,” Provincial Statistics Office chief Nelida B. Losare said.

Losare said aquaculture production in Q4 2019 at 780.51 MT improved by 3.24 percent over its Q4 2018 levels at 753.97 MT.

“It was observed that in three consecutive years, aquaculture managed to sustain its upward trend,” she added.

Major contributors to the aquaculture fish production include milkfish cultured from

brackishwater fishpond, fish cages and fish pens comprising 86.38 percent of the total aquaculture and contributed (755.37 MT) to the provincial total.

Seaweeds chipped in 11.84 percent (103.55 MT).

Other contributors to the aquaculture fish production were:

-tilapia produced in both brackish and freshwater environments which shared 1.37 percent or 12.02 MT; and

-other species which include, oyster, white shrimp, catfish, spiny lobster, endeavor prawn, mud crab and tiger prawn and some other species that accounted for 0.40 percent or 3.52 MT.

On the contrary, seaweeds and marine fish pens posted lower yields in Q4 2020 over their outputs a year ago at 77.66 MT (-42.86%) and 10 MT (-16.67%), respectively.

Meanwhile, municipal fisheries production slumped by 4.49 percent, from 946.98 MT output in Q4 2019 to 904.42 MT in Q4 2020 due to the decrease production in marine fishing (-2.62%) and inland fishing (-34.85%).

“Largest share of municipal fishing came from marine fishing with 96.03 percent contribution and the remaining 3.97 percent came from inland fisheries sub sector,” Losare said.