Muslim region remains top fish producer

MARAWI CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) maintained its performance as the country’s top fish producer, with 31.6% of the total fisheries production for the first quarter of 2023, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Fishing trawlers off the Muslim province of Sulu. (Photos by Al Jacinto)

It said BARMM was followed by Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) with 11.6%, Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 10.8%, and Region 4 (CALABARZON) with 8.6% of fish production in the same quarter.

Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) Director-General for Fishery Services Pendatun Patarasa said BARMM’s outstanding fishery production was due to the strengthened collaboration between relevant government instrumentalities, the private sector, the fisherfolk, and other key stakeholders. 

“The factors sustaining the increase in fisheries production are the continuing technical assistance and capacity building, the provision of appropriate production support on capture, aquaculture, and post-harvest and marketing to the fisherfolk, and the strengthening of the Fishery Regulatory, Quarantine, and Law Enforcement across the region,” he said.

Patarasa said to be able to sustain the gains in the fisheries sector, they doubled efforts to ensure the implementation of plans and programs to maximize its contribution towards improving the regional economy, increasing fisherfolk's income, and achieving a food-secure Bangsamoro region.

BARMM recorded the highest fishery production in the entire Philippines for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022 but made a sufficient contribution to the fisheries sector in 2022, which is an all-time high growth as well, sharing 30.57% and 41.27% growth to the total fisheries and aquaculture production volume in the country.

Meanwhile, due to this significant increase in production, the country's fisheries sector has posted an all-time high growth rate of 2.16% in production volume since 2010. (BIO)