THE catch landed at regional fish ports (RFPs) rose 2.37% year on year by volume in January, even with the closed season in force in some fisheries, the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) said.
Fish landed at RFPs amounted to 38,780.63 metric tons (MT) during the month, according to the PFDA’s monthly briefer.
“All RFPs still managed to supply sufficient and affordable fishery products to all their clients and stakeholders,” it said.
Commercial fishing was banned in several major fisheries starting the fourth quarter of last year, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The closed fishing season is a conservation measure aimed at allowing fish stocks to regenerate.
“The PFDA is expecting to significantly recover by February when the annual closed fishing season in the waters of Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Palawan, and the Visayan Sea simultaneously re-open,” it added.
The PFDA said that the Lucena Fish Port Complex posted an 8.17% increase in deliveries to 1,645.61 MT during the month.
The Zamboanga Fish Port, likewise, saw a 10.97% rise in fish landed, amounting to 857.75 MT.
The Navotas Fish Port posted a drop in volume to 10,606.00 MT in January.
Fish landed in General Santos City declined to 22,706.98 MT.
In 2023, fisheries production dropped 6.5%, accelerating the 5% decline recorded in the prior year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. — Adrian H. Halili
