DA Secretary Arthur Yap in a statement said they are targeting 5.34 million metric tons (MT) this year or a 10 percent increase from the 4.85 million MT of fisheries production in 2006.
Yap further said that expansion programs will be towards seaweed farming, farming of high value species such as abalone, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, and P. vannamei or Pacific white shrimp.
There will also be more aggressive enforcement of anti-poaching and illegal fishing and sustained resource conservation efforts.
The Philippines, he said was listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as No. 8 from the previous ranking of No. 11 among the top fish-producing countries in the world.
He said tuna is the country's top export product shipped in many parts of the world including the USA, Japan, China and the European Union.
The country is also the world's 2nd largest producer of seaweeds, with production reaching 1.39 million MT or 11.6 percent of the total world production of 12 million MT.
