Guimaras fishing industry faces prolonged decline

In Guimaras province, a troubling trend has emerged as fish production has steadily declined over a three-year period.

According to the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA), from 2020 to 2023, the yield plummeted by 34.88%, with the province’s output shrinking from 7,940.37 metric tons to just 5,170.71 metric tons.

Provincial Statistics Officer Nelida B. Losare attributed the stark decrease to “the reduced productivity of aquaculture and municipal fishing industry,” noting the absence of commercial fishing in Guimaras.

While aquaculture has seen a slight increase of 4.81%, municipal fisheries’ production has continued its downward trajectory since 2021.

The year 2023 witnessed a 12.53% reduction in municipal fisheries alone, which signifies a considerable drop of 442.33 metric tons from the previous year.

The year 2022 was marked by an even more significant decline of 30.17% or 1,525.07 metric tons compared to 2021, illustrating a persistent challenge facing the sector.

Marine and inland municipal fisheries, which make up the bulk of the industry in Guimaras, saw a respective 30.50% and 60.13% drop in yields over the past two years.

“Inland fishing contributed 1.9% on average to the total municipal fishing yield, which significantly lost 60.13% or 87.75 metric tons in the 2021 output as opposed to 2020, 1.99% or 1.16 metric tons drop in the 2022 output relative to 2021 output, and 9.75% or 5.56 metric tons increment in 2023 against the 2022 yield,” Losare said.

Despite these challenges, certain species like milkfish and fimbriated sardines bucked the trend with increases in their production.

Losare highlighted the varied performance among the top marine species, with only milkfish and fimbriated sardines registering increased production in 2023. In contrast, anchovies, cavalla, and round herring experienced significant declines.

“Among the top five (5) marine species, only milkfish and fimbriated sardines exhibited increment production in 2023, while the three others declined. Milkfish grew by 7.51% or 134.34 metric tons increase over its 2022 yield, while fimbriated sardines improved by 2.69% or 7.97 metric tons in 2023,” Losare said.

“Anchovies, cavalla, and round herring decreased on their 2023 yield with 37.48% or 171.12 metric tons, 24.75% or 71.95 metric tons, and 27.99% or 32.83 metric tons, respectively,” she added.

This sustained downturn in fish production underscores a pressing need for intervention to rejuvenate Guimaras’s vital fishing industry.

The local government, along with industry stakeholders, may need to explore innovative approaches to arrest the decline and promote sustainable practices that could lead to recovery and growth.