IN CEBU, fishing is not just about trade, but it is largely about putting food on the table.
The province ranked first nationwide in marine capture fishing activities intended for own consumption, based on 2022 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Figures from the 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries, released on April 8, 2026, showed that Cebu led all provinces in the categories “only for own consumption” and “mainly for own consumption with some for sale,” highlighting fishing’s role as a primary food source among coastal households.
Central Visayas a fishing hub
At the regional level, Central Visayas emerged as a major fishing hub, recording 85,663 household-based marine capture fishing operations, or 11.4 percent of the national total.
The region led in operations solely for own consumption, while Eastern Visayas topped those mainly for own consumption with some for sale.
Of these, 25,758 operations were conducted only for their own consumption, while 15,273 were mainly for their own consumption with some for sale.
Cebu among top provinces
Cebu also consistently ranked among the top 10 nationwide across all fishing purposes.
It placed first in both “only for own consumption” and “mainly for own consumption with some for sale,” 10th in “only for sale,” fifth in “mainly for sale with some for own consumption,” and fourth in “equally for sale and for own consumption.”
Across categories, Palawan led in “only for sale” and “mainly for sale with some for own consumption,” while Negros Occidental topped “equally for sale and for own consumption.”
Meanwhile, Bohol also figured prominently, ranking second in “only for own consumption,” fifth in “mainly for sale with some for own consumption,” and fourth in “mainly for own consumption with some for sale.”
Industry remains small-scale
National data showed the industry remained largely informal and dominated by individual operators, with 98.6 percent of the country’s 750,575 marine fishing operations classified as single proprietorships.
The figures underscore the continued reliance of Cebu’s coastal communities on fishing for both livelihood and food.
Traditional landing centers dominate
The PSA reported that most marine capture fishing operations nationwide relied on traditional landing centers without formal infrastructure.
Of the 750,473 operations with at least one landing site, 75.6 percent unloaded their catch in traditional landing areas, followed by privately owned landing centers (13.6 percent) and those managed by local government units (6.1 percent). Only a small share used facilities run by fishing associations or cooperatives (one percent) and the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (0.2 percent).
Small boats, mostly self-owned
The fishing fleet also remained largely small-scale and self-owned.
Of the 612,744 fishing boats recorded nationwide, 79.1 percent were owned by operators, while 15.3 percent were used rent-free and 5.7 percent were rented.
By type, boats with both an engine and an outrigger comprised 60.9 percent, followed by those without an engine but with an outrigger (15.7 percent), those with an engine but no outrigger (13.7 percent), and those without both an engine and outrigger (9.7 percent).
These figures reinforce a picture of a predominantly small-scale, household-driven fishing industry that depends on basic equipment and traditional systems. / CDF