In a bid to harmonize fish production data, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) participated in the 1st Annual Small Pelagic Catch Estimates Review Workshop along with various government agencies affiliated with the fisheries sector and other fishing industry partners, held in Apo View Hotel, Davao City, on April 17 to 19, 2023.

Attended by port managers and officials from PFDA Regional Fish Ports, the workshop aims to devise consensus catch estimates from each agency that extracts landed small pelagic species. The result of the review shall be the basis for improving fisheries-specific management policies, programs, and decision-making.

The PFDA presented all relative landed small pelagic species data extracted within the agency mandate. They discussed the landed unloading of small pelagic species from different PFDA ports and private ports. In addition, they also discussed the extraction of unloading between the Municipal and Commercial fishing vessels.

During the forum, the fishing stakeholders posited that the accuracy in extracting data is vital due to its substantial factor in policy-making significantly affecting the fishery sector.

Various agencies that attended the first-ever small pelagic review include the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP), Inter-Island Deep Sea Fishing Association (IDSFA), Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing Association (SOPHIL), National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), and Philippine Fisheries Observer Program (PFOP).

(Mark Angelo N. Perez with reports and photos from Kenneth A. Quindao – PFDA-DFPC and Mae Angelica R. Medina – PFDA-NFPC)