Tuna production in R11 up by 52% in Q3

THE production of tuna in Davao Region increased by 52.59 percent to 1,763.79 metric tons (MT) for the third quarter of 2017 from 1,155.9 MT for the same period of last year, according to the data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In the entire region, the number of produced Eastern little tuna (Bonito) increased by 137.82 percent from its 193.63 MT third quarter of 2017 from only 81.42 percent same duration last year.

However, production for Frigate Tuna (Tulingan) has experienced a tremendous decrease by 50.77 percent to 302.92 MT from 615.37 MT. Skipjack Tuna (Gulyasan) has also decreased by 2.21 percent to 260.54 MT from about 266.43 MT third quarter of last year. Of all the tuna species fished in the region, the Yellowfin Tuna (Tambakol/Bariles) had the highest increase at 422.47 percent to 1,006.7 MT from only 192.68 MT third quarter last year.

At present, only Davao Oriental was recorded to have Bonito harvests making up the entire 193.63 MT harvest of the region.

Tulingan, on the other hand, is also abundant in Davao Oriental with 273.78 MT of harvests. It was then followed by Davao del Norte with 17.18 MT, Davao City with 6.38 MT, Compostela Valley with 5.58 MT.

Gulyasan is recorded to still be the most abundant in Davao Oriental with 157.37 MT, followed by Davao del Sur at 76.5 MT, Compostela

Valley at 14.89 MT, and Davao del Norte with 11.78 MT of harvests.

Davao del Sur recorded to have a 638.05 MT of Tambakol/Bariles, followed by Davao Oriental with 337.13 MT, Davao del Norte with 15.26 MT, Davao City with 9.34 MT, and Compostela Valley with 6.92 MT.