THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 7 has reported a significant increase in fisheries production for the first quarter of 2024.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s OpenStat (updated on May 8), the total fisheries production in Central Visayas reached 18,242.08 metric tons (MT).
This marks a 12.16 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Cebu Province contributed the highest volume with 6,913.05 MT, accounting for 38 percent of the total production.
Bohol followed with 6,603.66 MT (36 percent), Negros Oriental with 4,152.71 MT (23 percent) and Siquijor with 572.66 MT (three percent).
The commercial fisheries and municipal fisheries sectors experienced substantial growth, posting increases of 63.11 percent and 13.63 percent, respectively, compared to the first quarter of 2023.
However, the aquaculture sub-sector saw a decline of 11.44 percent.
The top five fisheries species by volume of production in the first quarter of 2024 were seaweeds (3,234.65 MT), bigeye scad (1,467.73 MT), whiteleg shrimp or Penaeus vannamei (1,242.49 MT), round scad (1,177.53 MT) and fimbriated sardines (831.64 MT). / KAL