The Philippines has all what it takes to become an investment haven for fishery and aquaculture ventures. It is one of the world’s largest archipelagos stretching 2,000 km from north to south consisting of 7,107 islands with an estimated 17,460 km of coastline. The total territorial water area covers 2.2 million square km of which 266,000 sq. km are coastal waters and 1.9 million sq. km are oceanic.

 

The country prides itself as the world’s eighth largest fish producer and for having the second longest coastline with hundreds of protected coves. Its fisheries production comprises commercial fishing, municipal fishing and aquaculture fishing.

 

Commercial Fishing – the catching of fish with the use of fishing boats with a capacity of more than three gross tons for trade, business or profit beyond subsistence or sport fishing. Operation is outside of the municipal government jurisdiction of 15 kilometers.

Municipal Fishing – fishing within municipal waters using fishing vessels of three gross tons or less, or fishing not requiring the use of fishing vessels. Operation is within the municipal government jurisdiction of 15 kilometers.

Aquaculture – fishery operations involving all forms of raising and culturing of fish and other fishery species in fresh, brackish and marine water areas.

Increased production

Year    Volume    % Growth    Value (PhP Billion)
2009    5.08 milliom    2.2%    215.6
2008    4.97 million    5.5.%    215.8
2007    4.71 million    6.8%    180.5
2006    4.41 million    6.0%    163.4
 

Market Opportunity

 

Increased fish consumption

Fish consumption has risen in both rural and urban areas in recent years as the volume of fish production has grown each year. Fish is extremely important in the countryside where sardines and rice is the staple diet for many people.

Fish canning/processing and allied industries source their fish supply from local catch and import them during lean season to sustain the demand of production for canned fish products.

Exports/Major export market

Year    Export Volume (MT)    Export Value (US$ million)
2007    173,075.60    569.8
2008    205,274    769.60
2009    196,521    674.90

Major fishery exports (e.g., shrimp/prawn, crabs/crab fats, octopus, lapu-lapu, cuttlefish/squid, ornamental fish, roundscad and sea cucumber constitute 86% or US$581.70 million of the total US$674.90 million exports of fish and fishery products.

Major destination of Philippine fish and fishery products:
Country    % Share
USA             11.2
Japan           11.2
Hong Kong    6.9
France           2.2

 

Source:  http://investphilippines.gov.ph/industries/agri-business/fisheries/