CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, June 18 (PIA) –- Fish production in Northern Mindanao decreased by 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018 reaching only 32,719 metric tons compared from its level in the same period of 2017.
Engr. Cecilio Y. Clarete, chief economic development specialist of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-X, said in a media forum that the decline was noted across all sectors – aquaculture, commercial and municipal fishery.
Commercial fishery went down by 3.9 percent to 8,600 from 8,947 metric tons in the same period while municipal fishing declined by 1.8 percent from 9,979 to 9,852 metric tons. Commercial and municipal fishery accounted for 26 percent and 30 percent of the total fish production, respectively.
Clarete said the decrease in commercial and municipal fishery during the quarter was attributable to lesser fishing activities due to weather disturbances.
Drydocking of some fishing boats for repair and maintenance was also noted as another factor.
The same trend was noted in the aquaculture fishery which registered 3.04 percent reduction, pulling down the production volume to only 14,266 metric tons.
Seaweeds, which shared almost 49 percent of the total aquaculture production, went down by 6.2 percent to only 6,961.96 metric tons.
The decline in seaweed production was reportedly due to ‘ice-ice’ but Clarete recommended a deeper investigation of the causes citing that it has been a while since seaweed production has been affected by the ‘ice-ice.’
Ice-ice is a disease condition of seaweed caused by unfavorable factors such as the change in water temperature and salinity. (APB/PIA-10)