Chapter 4

APPRAISAL OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

4.1 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

Fish Landing Surveys were carried out at Navotas (see Appendix 1), Demortis, Lucena and Mercedes during the 1969 calendar year and a summary of the results follows:

Table 1
RESULTS OF FISH LANDING PLACE SURVEYS
(Estimated Landing and Reported Catches in Metric Tons)

¹ Reported Catches refers to the total annual catch reported via Fish Caught Reports.
² The raising factor is Estimated Landings divided by Reported Catches.

The raising factor for Navotas was 1.539 in 1966, 1.343 in 1967 and 0.892 in 1968. For Damortis it was 3.755 in 1967 and 2.569 in 1968, and for Mercedes it was 7.309 in 1967. These figures indicate that the raising factors vary widely from place to place. In particular it was much lower than the currently used raising factor of 4 at Navotas, it was very near to 4 at Damortis but it was much higher than 4 at Mercedes. Since these fish landing places are located in different Fisheries Regions, it can be concluded that a separate raising factor must be calculated for each Fisheries Region. It can also be seen from these data that raising factors vary from year to year at a given landing place. This survey therefore needs to be carried out continuously.

The old raising factor of 4 was still employed when the 1967 and the 1968 catch statistics for the commercial fisheries were compiled, because the coverage of the survey was still not sufficient to justify the changing of the raising factor for the whole country. At present it covers three out of eight Fisheries Regions.

The estimation formulae and the precision of the estimates of the Fish Landing Survey at Navotas were referred to in the previous report (ibid).

4.1.1 Problems in the Fish Landing Survey at Navotas

1. The average weight of fish per tub and per tray are at present assumed to be 35 kg and 6 kg, respectively. These factors should be estimated by actually weighing a sample over a short period.

2. Some Fish Caught reports annotated at Navotas include fish landed elsewhere and brought to Navotas by truck. These reports should be excluded when the total reported catch at Navotas is computed.

3. The Fisheries Commission receives two Fish Caught Reports for landings at Navotas, one from the fishing operators and the other from fishery agents who observe landing operations every night, and the Economics and Statistics Section choose the report returning the largest catch. The effect of this procedure on the calculated raising factor needs investigation.

4. The expert who visited Navotas Landing several times to check the activity of the enumerators would advise that the Economics and Statistics Section strengthen supervision by sending a staff member to Navotas Landing a few times every month.

5. A new fishing port is to be built at Navotas during 1970–73 and when completed it will be necessary to revise the survey method to account for the new field situation.

4.2 MARINE MUNICIPAL FISHERIES

4.2.1 Identification Survey of Marine Barrios

A summary of the results of this survey up to October 1969 is in Appendix 2.

This survey had covered 4 191 marine barrios by the end of 1968 and by October 1969 a further 407 had been visited (Table 2). The values in Table 3 have been obtained by raising the survey results for each region by the inverse of the coverage rate for that region, and totalling the results to obtain national estimates.

Table 2
COVERAGE OF IDENTIFICATION SURVEY OF MARINE BARRIOS (OCT. 1969)

Table 3
ESTIMATES OF SELECTED FISHERY INVENTORY ITEMS

These data, which are the first of this kind in this country, are available by barrio, by municipality and by province in the Economics and Statistics Section of the Philippine Fisheries Commission.

4.2.2 Catch Survey of Marine Barrios

This survey was commenced in Fisheries Regions I and III during 1967 and in Region IV during 1969. The data for 1969 had not been processed completely at the time of drafting this report, hence only the 1968 data for Regions I and III is analysed here. See previous report (ibid).

Table 4
MARINE BARRIOS - FAMILIES AND PRODUCTION

If the average catch per fishing family in 1968 in Regions I and III combined is applied to the estimated total number of fishing families in the whole country (Table 3) an indication of the total catch of the marine municipal fisheries for 1968 is obtained: 721 077 metric tons.

The total catch of the municipal fisheries in 1968 was 377 572 metric tons ¹ according to the statistical yearbook. In other words the productivity per fishing family per year implicit in the official statistics is about one metric ton per year as opposed to two metric tons in the new estimate. It seems to the expert that one metric ton per year is insufficient to maintain a fishing family. However, the coverage of the survey is still too limited to reach a reliable conclusion and it is necessary to await the completion of the survey before revising published statistics. For further detail see report (ibid).

4.3 FISHPOND FISHERIES

4.3.1 Area of Fishponds

The area survey of fishponds (private ownership) had covered about 50 percent of all the municipalities in the country by the end of 1968 and extended to almost 10 percent by the end of 1969. The total area of privately-owned fishponds was consequently computed to be 175 892 ha, a figure which is 3.2 times that of 54 468 ha which appeared in statistical yearbooks from 1951 to 1957.

On the other hand, the measure of the total area of government-leased fishponds has been reduced from 86 000 ha in 1967 to 77 000 ha as a result of the improvements in the method of tabulating license records.

¹ Municipal Fisheries, Laguna de Bay: In metric tons, 444 179 - 66 607 = 377 572.

Comparison of the new with old (1967) estimates is shown in Table 5.

Table 5
FISHPOND AREA
(Hectares)

The new data, probably slightly modified, will be published in the 1969 statistical yearbook. The new data by province are in Appendix 3.

4.3.2 Productivity Survey of Fishponds

By December 1960 no results had reached the Fisheries Commission from the Bureau of Agricultural Economics who had assumed responsibility for the survey in the preceding August.

4.4 INLAND FISHERIES OTHER THAN FISHPONDS

4.4.1 Fishery Survey of Laguna de Bay

The results of the Listing Survey of Duck Farms and Fishing Families which was carried out from September to November 1968, were published in May 1969 in a report entitled “Report on the Listing Survey of Duck Farms and Fishing Families of the Fishery Survey of Laguna de Bay”; see also previous reports (ibid).

The survey methods for the Duck Food and Fish Catch Survey were designed by the expert late in 1969. The actual survey is expected to be implemented early in 1970.

4.4.2 Inland Fishery Survey

The replies from the Commission's field staff in response to this survey were very few, covering about 10 percent of all the municipalities. This situation can probably best be explained by the indifference of field staff other than statistical personnel to statistical work and reinforces the need for more male statistical personnel in the field.

4.5 COMPUTER TABULATION OF 1968 FISH CAUGHT REPORT DATA

The advantages expected from the computer tabulation were:

1. Results to be available three months earlier.
2. Saved manpower to be available for the other statistical duties.

In addition, if separate regional raising factors are to be applied in the future, the employement of a computer will become essential.

In the event the results only become available at the same time of year as in previous years due to a delay in handing over the source documents to IBM Philippines and to shortage of funds. However, if this work becomes routine, earlier publication of results will be quite possible. As to the second advantage, it was found possible to employ saved manpower on other statistical work.

However, the cost of P44 500 was rather high. In order to reduce the costs for the 1969 data, the expert proposed the utilization of the computer installed in the Bureau of Lands and the training of two programmers for the Fisheries Commission. If this proposal is implemented costs will be cut significantly.

The computer tabulation of the Fish Caught Reports data for 1968 was the first experience of computer tabulation by the Fisheries Commission. The expert hopes that this will encourage the Commission to consider computerizing other tasks.

4.6 THE 1970 CENSUS OF FISHERIES

The 1970 Census of Fisheries will be the first fishery census in the Philippines. Classification of the survey objects is as follows:

1. Fishing establishments

1.1 Commercial fishing vessel operators
1.2 Fishpond operators

2. Fishing Households

2.1 Marine fishing households
2.2 Inland fishing households.

Since this classification is the one already in use in the Fisheries Commission it is to be expected that the Commission will be able to make full use of the census results for statistical, analytical, programming and administrative pruposes

4.7 THE INCOME ELASTICITY OF DEMAND FOR FISH IN THE PHILIPPINES

In May 1969 the expert was asked by the Project Manager to calculate the income elasticity of demand for fish in the Philippines. In the Expanded Fish Production Programme for the Fiscal Years 1969 – 72 the annual production targets had been calculated by projecting current fish production and requirements, aiming at self sufficiency in 1972. This method ignores the effect of change in income.

Using the results at the Philippines Household Surveys conducted by the Census and Statistics Bureau in 1961 and 1965 (Table 6) the income elasticities of the demand for fish for those years were calculated from:

Table 6
RESULTS OF PHILIPPINE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS 1961, 1965

Table 7
INCOME ELASTICITY OF DEMAND FOR FISH IN THE PHILIPPINES

The demand for fish in a future year can be estimated using the following fommula:

Dt = P_o (1 + p)^t • d_o (1 + br)^t

4.8 ANALYSIS OF FISH PRICE DATA

4.8.1 Source of Data

There are three sources of fish price data existing in the Philippine Fisheries Commission, all of which are gathered under the supervision of the Market Assistance Section of the Fisheries Information Division.

1. Provincial report on retail fish prices
2. Survey of retail fish prices in Manila and suburbs
3. Survey of wholesale fish prices.

The survey system can be summarized as follows:

1. Privincial report on retail fish prices. The system was started in 1965. At each retail market under the jurisdiction of Fisheries Stations, field staff are supposed to survey retail fish prices by kinds of fish, once on any day in the first week of the month and once on any day in the third week and report monthly to the Commission. In practice only about 10 percent of all stations submit reports.

   Unweighted arithmetic averages of the reported prices are calculated monthly and annually by kinds of fish for the whole country. These annual averages reduced by 20 percent are being used by the Economics and Statistics Section for valuing catch (see Page 1 of Statistical Yearbook).

2. Survey of retail fish prices in Manila and Suburbs. The survey started in 1965. The survey is conducted at three retail markets in Manila (Quiapo, Divisoria, Paco Markets) and at Pasay Market in the suburbs. Two of the staff of the Market Assistance Section are used for the survey, visiting Quiapo Market and Divisoria Market every day and Paco Market and Pasay Market every other day.

   The daily prices are published in the press and also simply averaged to produce monthly and annual average prices by kinds of fish.

3. Survey of first hand fish prices. This survey was started in August 1968. Two enumerators survey marine fish sales every day at Navotas, while a further enumerator surveys milkfish sales everyday at the Malabon and Divisoria Markets. The prices are noted twice a day (at 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.) for 15 kinds of marine fish and milkfish.

   Again daily prices are published in the press and are simply averaged to produce monthly and annual average prices.

4.8.2 Comparison of the Data from Different Sources

The expert compared the monthly data on round scad (as a representative of low price fish) and grouper (as a representative of high price fish) for 1968. These comparisons are summarized in Tables 8 and 9, respectively.

It can be seen that the monthly average retail prices of round scad were lower in the provinces than in Manila and suburbs during the fishing season from March to June but higher during the off-season from July to February. Consequently, the annual average price is higher in the provinces. However, the introduction of a suitable weighting system may invalidate this conclusion.

Table 8
MONTHLY AVERAGE PRICE OF ROUND SCAD IN 1968 (Unit: pesos per kg)

¹ These prices are weighted averages of the 2 a.m. prices and the 5 a.m. prices, the weights being 0.8 and 0.2 respectively.

It is also to be noted that from August to December the average first hand prices were around 40 percent below the Manila retail price instead of 20 percent less, which is the factor used in the statistical yearbook.

Table 9
MONTHLY AVERAGE PRICES OF GROUPER IN 1968 (Unit: pesos per kg.)

¹ See footnote to Table 8.

In the case of grouper, the retail prices are usually lower in the provinces than in Manila. The ratio of the grouper first-hand price to the retail price is about 60 percent as for round scad.

The present method of calculating first-hand prices by multiplying retail prices by 0.8 suffers many deficiencies (poor reporting coverage, absence of a weighting system, too high a conversion factor) and it would therefore be advisable to extend the firsthand price survey to the fish landing places for which Fish Landing Surveys have been proposed, using the same enumerators.

4.9 THE COMMITTEE ON THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR MARINE MUNICIPAL FISHERIES

This committee was established in the Philippine Fisheries Commission in June 1969 when its Chairman asked the expert for technical advice.

The expert prepared a schedule of preliminary studies to be undertaken by the committee, took part in a study field trip and assisted the Chairman in formulating a general development programme, which was approved by the Commissioner in August 1969. The programme requires that each Fisheries Regional Office recommend a pilot marine barrio (or perhaps two) in which certain aspects of its fishing activity can be developed efficiently and without great difficulty. Committee members will be formed into three teams, each of which will visit a pilot barrio for a week and formulate a practical development programme for the selected barrio. One extension worker will then be assigned to each pilot barrio where he will supervise the progress of the development programme. Committee members, each acting as an expert in his own discipline, will regularly visit the pilot barrios and closely follow developments. The first target period set was the year 1970.

In connection with the activities of this Committee, the Project Manager proposed that a survey on tuna fishing by small-scale fishermen be undertaken. The Project is attempting to stimulate the sale of frozen tuna, for consequent export, to domestic or foreign buyers who would operate carriers in conjunction with on-board or shore based freezers. In some parts of the Philippines, many small-scale fishermen catch tuna and tuna-like fishes with hand-line or troll-line using small fishing boats of not more than 3 tons gross. They catch from a few to several tunas per boat per day and if there were, say, fifty such tuna catching boats in a fishing village, the total catch of tuna would be of interest.

The expert drafted a questionnaire for this survey and the Committee Chairman has tabulated pertinent data collected by the Bureau of Fisheries in 1963, in order to ascertain the areas where this fishery exists. The new survey will be conducted by the members of the Committee early in 1970.