REGIONAL fish ports in the country recorded higher fish deliveries in December 2023 in comparison to fish unloaded in the same month of 2022.
The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) reported that fish deliveries last month reached 47,952.79 metric tons (MT), 5.72 percent higher than the 45,355.24 MT logged in the same month of 2022.
On a monthly basis, the latest volume was 3.55 percent lower than the 49,718.43 MT posted in November.
The General Santos Fish Port Complex delivered about 25,005.442 MT of fish during the month, 2.06 percent lower from 25,531.63 MT posted a year earlier. The regional volume was over half of the total unloading figure for the month.
The Navotas Fish Port Complex, meanwhile, transported 16,506.60 MT of fish or 6.53 percent higher from last year's 15,493.89 MT.
The Zamboanga Fish Port Complex and the Navotas Fish Port Complex both posted decreases in their fish unloading tallies during the month due to the implementation of closed fishing seasons in the Visayan Sea, and waters off Northern Palawan and Zamboanga Peninsula.
The Zamboanga Fish Port Complex delivered about 772.975 MT of fish in December. The figure was 33.2 percent lower compared to the previous month's 1,157.45 MT.
On a yearly basis, the regional fish port recorded a 14.3-percent increase in comparison to 676.235 MT fish deliveries in 2022.
The Navotas port delivered 16,506.60 MT of fish, which is 14.9 percent lower than the 19,404.97 MT logged in November last year.
Year on year, the volume was 6.53 percent higher from the 15,493.89 MT delivered in December 2022.
The closed fishing seasons also affected the Sual Fish Port that delivered only 32.9 MT of fish.
Furthermore, the Bulan Fish Port Complex also recorded an annual increase of 167.7 percent this December 2023 with 1,174.00 MT of fish delivered.
The Davao Fish Port Complex recorded the highest percentage jump in fish unloading with 1,215.12 MT or a 291.06-percent increase from last year's 310.72 MT.
The Iloilo Fish Port Complex and Lucena Fish Port Complex recovered from last month's decline after delivering 1,724.49 MT and 1,521.27 MT of fish.