Philippines ranks 4th in fishery exports in Asia

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines – The Philippines ranked fourth in Asia in fishery product exports in an international fishery trade.

In the First Congress of the Integrated Services for the Development of Aguaculture (ISDA) held here, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Remedios Ongtangco noted that “in international fisheries trade, the positive trend continued in 2010 , but has now changed direction along global financial status.”

She cited a recent projection made by international fisheries trade analysts showing that by 2020, the top five fisheries retail markets would be the US, China, Japan, India and Russia.

“During the first quarter of this year, imports increased in traditional developed markets. But by mid 2011, the growth rates slowed down particularly in Europe and in the US markets,” she said.

However, Ongtangco noted that an increase of fishery product exports from China, Norway, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia “through market diversification where aquaculture played an important role.”

She said these emerging markets are in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

But Ontangco reported that while Asia now supplies 91 percent of the world’s demand for fishery products, the Philippines is outranked by three Asian neighbors in the value of their exports.

Ontangco cited latest studies indicating that in terms of “fishery export trends”, the Philippines has exports worth US$630 million. This, she noted, is lower than the exports of Thailand at $6.89 billion, India at $2.84 billion and Indonesia at $2.55 billion.

She also noted that in terms of aquaculture production, the Philippines ranked third with 2.4 million tons, next to Indonesia with 4.7 million tons and India with 3.7 million.

Ontangco cited projections that Asia-Pacific and Central Asia regions “will grow and take 41 percent share of the global retail food market” and that “China will become the second largest food retail market by 2020, behind the US.”

At the same time, conference participants also reported unusual sea levels attributed to climate change are now adversely affecting the aquaculture industry in Central Luzon. –Punto Central Luzon, Philippine Star