Q3 fish catch rise despite calamities

FISH unloading managed to rise in the third quarter 7.6 percent, year on year (YOY),  notwithstanding the successive typhoons and earthquakes that struck the country.

The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority noted that regional fish ports (RFPs) delivered in the third quarter reached 139,057.66 metric tons (MT) from July to September, up from 129,227.5 MT for the same period in 2024.

Landed catch during the reference period was equivalent to an average daily unloading of 1,528.11 MT.

On a quarterly basis, the agency said the third quarter’s volume dipped by 13.68 percent from the 161,087.39 MT posted in April to June.

Ports opened their doors to 20,812 vessels and serviced 8,3315 clients and port users throughout the reference period. 

Ice production of RFPs reached 12,021 MT in the third quarter, higher than the previous year’s 9,341 MT.

The volume of fishery and non-fishery products processed reached 612.68 MT in the third quarter, more than double the 221.10 MT recorded last year.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said the DA expected fisheries output to decline this year due to the absence of the dry spell, which helped boost production last year.

 This, after data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that fish production fell by 7.5 percent in the third quarter to a 20-year low of 894,320 MT, from 966,730 MT last year.

Historical data indicated that output during the period was the lowest since the third quarter of 2004, when it reached 852,378 MT.

“Our prediction for this year’s fisheries production is definitely lower because last year was an El Niño year,” Laurel said.

“Based on my 38 years of experience in the fishing industry, whenever the water is warm, production is always higher,” but since “this year isn’t an El Niño year, production will be lower.”

With this, agricultural groups called on the government to prioritize the fisheries sector, particularly aquaculture.