Fisheries Country Profile: Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago composed of 7,641 islands with a total land area of 301,000 km² and surrounded by major bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean in the east, South China Sea in the west, Luzon Strait in the North, and Celebes Sea in the south. The territorial waters including the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) have a total area of 2,200,000 km² and the coastline has a total length of 36,289 km. The country sits at the heart of the coral triangle which is the global center of marine biodiversity with nearly 60 % of the world’s known fishes as well as over 300 species of corals (Carpenter & Springer, 2005).

The fisheries sector of the Philippines is categorized into commercial fisheries, municipal fisheries, and aquaculture. Commercial fisheries refer to capture fishing operations using fishery vessels of over 3 GT outside the municipal waters (beyond 15 km from the shoreline) and are classified into: a) small scale using passive or active gear and utilizing fishing vessels of 3.1–20 GT; b) medium scale utilizing active gears and vessels of 20.1–150 GT; and c) large scale utilizing active gears and vessels of more than 150 GT. Municipal fisheries refer to capture fishing operations using fishery vessels of 3 GT or less including other forms of fishing not involving the use of watercraft. Aquaculture involves fish culture activities in inland and marine waters. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under the Department of Agriculture is the government agency responsible for the development, improvement, management, and conservation of the fisheries and aquatic resources of the Philippines.

In 2021, the contribution of the fisheries sector to the gross domestic product of the country was 1.52% at current and constant prices, respectively. In 2021, each Filipino consumed an average of 34.28 kg/year of fish and fishery products comprising 23.34 kg of fresh fish, 2.86 kg of dried fish, 3.89 kg of processed fish, 2.88 kg of crustaceans and mollusks, and 1.31 kg of others.

Total fishery production of the Philippines by quantity (MT)

Total fishery production of the Philippines by value (USD 1,000)

Production of major species/groups of species from marine capture fisheries of the Philippines by quantity (MT)

Production of major species/groups of species from inland capture fisheries of the Philippines by quantity (MT)

Production of major species/groups of species from aquaculture of the Philippines by quantity (MT)

Export and import of fishery products of the Philippines by quantity (MT) and value (USD 1,000)