Western Visayas fisheries output drops 8.3% in Q2

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — Fisheries production in Western Visayas fell 8.3% in the second quarter of 2026 as a steep decline in aquaculture outweighed gains in municipal fisheries.

The region produced 66,003 metric tons of fishery products from April to June, down by about 5,959 metric tons from 71,962 metric tons in the same quarter of 2025, according to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The regional contraction contrasted with a 2% increase in fisheries production nationwide, which reached 1.03 million metric tons during the second quarter.

Aquaculture accounted for 50.4% of Western Visayas’ total fisheries output, followed by commercial fisheries at 26.1% and municipal fisheries at 23.5%.

Aquaculture production dropped 17.1% to 33,274 metric tons from about 40,151 metric tons a year earlier.

Commercial fisheries declined 1.4% to 17,237 metric tons.

Municipal fisheries bucked the regional downturn, increasing 8.1% to 15,492 metric tons.

Marine fisheries remained the dominant source of production, accounting for 97.7% of the region’s total output, while inland fisheries contributed 2.3%.

Milkfish remained the region’s top fishery commodity at 17,884 metric tons, although production fell 10.9% from the previous year.

Seaweed followed with 12,438 metric tons, down 14.7%.

Roundscad production reached 3,251 metric tons, down 11.7%.

Oyster production fell 24.6% to 1,979 metric tons.

Big-eyed scad was the only commodity among the top five to post an increase, with production rising 44.1% to 2,624 metric tons.

The decline in production was accompanied by higher average farmgate prices for most of the region’s leading fishery commodities.

Milkfish averaged PHP 130.08 per kilogram, up 0.7%.

Seaweed averaged PHP 13.98 per kilogram, up 4.2%.

The average farmgate price of big-eyed scad increased 1.9% to PHP 161.22 per kilogram.

Oyster prices rose 5.4% to PHP 19.03 per kilogram.

Roundscad was the exception, with its average farmgate price falling 14.7% to PHP 125.67 per kilogram.

Capiz remained the leading aquaculture producer in Western Visayas, accounting for 56.7% of regional aquaculture output in the second quarter.

Regional aquaculture production totaled 33,274 metric tons, down from about 40,151 metric tons in the second quarter of 2025.

Antique followed with 12,282 metric tons of aquaculture production, down from 14,564 metric tons a year earlier.

In municipal fisheries, Antique recorded the highest output at 4,416 metric tons, followed by Iloilo at 4,185 metric tons and Aklan at 3,962 metric tons.

Antique also led commercial fisheries production with 5,048 metric tons, followed by Iloilo with 4,212 metric tons and Capiz with 4,061 metric tons.