KALIBO, Aklan – There are four types of fishery surveys being conducted in Aklan.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has selected sample households, aquafarms and fish landing centers for these surveys.
The surveys look into the commercial, municipal, inland, and aquaculture fishing operations in the province, the PSA added.
Commercial fishing uses boats with more than three gross tons while municipal fishing uses boats with three gross tons or less.
Inland fishing, meanwhile, refers to catching fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and all other aquatic animals and plants in inland waters.
On the other hand, aquaculture is the practice of raising fish and other fishery species in marine, brackish and freshwater under controlled conditions.
Provincial Statistics Officer Antonet Catubuan said data from the surveys will be used to assess the performance of the fishing industry in the national, regional and provincial levels.
Among the data being collected are volume and value of fish unloaded in different landing centers and other fishery productions in aquafarms and households.
Results of similar surveys conducted last year showed that Aklan’s volume of fisheries production declined 2 percent – from 22,694 metric tons (MT) in 2016 to 22,285 MT in 2017.
Aquaculture had the largest production share with 12,102 MT, or 54 percent of the total output.
Municipal fishing followed with 9,212 MT share, or 41 percent of the total. Commercial fishing came in third with 971 MT share, or 4 percent of the total. (With PSA-Aklan/PN)
