2024 fisheries output lowest in 2 decades

Production of fisheries fell by 5 percent in 2024 to 4.05 million metric tons, the lowest in two decades based on data of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The PSA recorded total volume of fisheries in 2024 as lower than the 4.24 MMT in 2023 and the lowest since the 3.93 MMT posted in 2004.

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) attributed the stunted fisheries production to extreme weather conditions from climate change and overfishing, said PCAFI president Danilo Fausto.

Three of the four subsectors registered contraction last year, with the commercial fisheries subsector being the only riser in an annual basis.

The aquaculture subsector, which contributed over half of the total fisheries output, slid by 6.8 percent to 2.22 MMT in 2024 from the 2.38 MMT in the previous year.

The inland municipal fisheries dropped by 4.8 percent to 166,170 MT year-on-year from 174,581 MT. It accounted for 4.1 percent of the total output.

Marine municipal fisheries output shrank by 8.8 percent to 802,769 MT in 2024 from 879,961 MT recorded in 2023. The subsector constituted 19.8 percent of the total fisheries production, based on PSA data.

Commercial fisheries production in 2024 expanded by 4.2 percent to 857,329 MT from 822,427 MT in 2023. The subsector’s share accounted for 21.2 percent of the total output.

PSA said the species that primarily posted reductions were seaweed, down 10.5 percent to 1.46 MMT; big-eyed scad (matangbaka), 20 percent to 96,223 MT; bali sardinella (tamban), 8.2 percent to 253,356 MT; and roundscad (galunggong) 9.8 percent to 172,417 MT.

Increases were noted in skipjack (gulyasan), up 31.2 percent to 277,525 MT; P. Vannameior white leg shrimp 32.3 percent to 48,115 MT; frigate tuna (tulingan) 8.6 percent to 79,083 MT, and milkfish (bangus) 1.6 percent to 361,241 MT.