Volume of Fisheries Production 
The total volume of fisheries production in Quezon province during the fourth quarter of 2023 was estimated at 9,944.77 metric tons. It decreased by 29.3 percent from the 14,072.96 metric tons reported in same quarter of 2022. This was brought about by the decrease in the output from all the sub-sectors. Commercial fisheries decreased by 50.4 percent, municipal fisheries by 43.4 percent, and aquaculture by 12.4 percent.

Among the sub-sectors, production from aquaculture fisheries contributed the biggest share of 62.6 percent to the total fisheries production during the period. It was followed by the output from municipal fisheries with 21.4 percent. Meanwhile, commercial fisheries shared 16.0 percent.

Aquaculture 
Aquaculture fisheries production for the fourth quarter of 2023 decreased to 6,223.91 metric tons from 7,104.95 metric tons during the same period in 2022. The decrease in the total aquaculture production was mostly attributed to  Penaeus vannamei (715.57 MT) and milkfish (440.23 MT) harvested from brackish water fishpond. Similarly, production of grouper in marine cages declined by 45.26 MT from 90.40 metric tons to 45.14 metric tons.

Municipal Fisheries 
Municipal fisheries production was registered at 2,131.97 metric tons in the fourth quarter of 2023, lower by 1,634.57 MT compared to the same quarter’s output of  3,766.54 metric tons in the previous year. Of this total volume of production, marine municipal fisheries accounted for 99.7 percent while the rest were caught from inland bodies of water.

The volume of production for marine municipal fisheries resulted to a 43.5 percent decrease from 3,759.45 metric tons in the same quarter of 2022 to 2,125.60 metric tons this quarter of 2023. The leading species that contributed to the decrease in the volume of production comprising marine municipal fisheries were roundscad or galunggong (176.59 MT), threadfin bream or bisugo (158.40 MT), bali sardinella or tamban (147.40 MT), indian mackerel or alumahan (130.18 MT)  and  big-eyed scad or matangbaka (134.78 MT).

Inland municipal fisheries production during the fourth quarter of 2023 was recorded at 6.37 metric tons, lower by 10.2 percent from its 2022 same quarter production of 7.09 metric tons. The top species contributing to the decline of the total volume of inland municipal fisheries production was mainly attributed to tilapia (2.95 MT).

Commercial Fisheries 
Production for commercial fisheries was posted at 1,588.89 metric tons, a decrement of 50.4 percent compared to the 3,201.47 metric tons reported in the same quarter in 2022. The top five species that contributed most to the decrease in the total production of this subsector were bali sardinella or tamban (263.21 MT), roundscad or galunggong (245.14 MT), eastern little tuna or bonito (171.59 MT), threadfin bream or bisugo (119.75 MT), and indian mackerel or alumahan (118.68 MT).

(SGD.) AIRENE A. PUCYUTAN 
Provincial Statistics Officer

NDP/PFVM/LAR