Fishing

Fish and other seafoods are the principal sources of protein in the average Filipino's diet. The annual per capita consumption of seafoods is about 70 pounds (30 kilograms), twice the national average for the Southeast Asia region. About 80 percent of the total fish catch is consumed fresh. The rest is salted, dried,
or smoked.

The commercial fishing industry does not generally employ modern techniques. This is partly due to the difficulty of working in tropical waters, where there are many fish but few concentrations of a single species. Commercial fishing boats operate out of most ports. The most productive waters are the Sulu and Visayan seas. The principal commercial species of marine life are tuna and albacore, shrimp and prawn, scad, sardine, anchovy, slipmouth, yellowfish, herring, crabs, and mussels. In recent years tuna and shrimp have been among the top 20 Philippine exports
by value.

Fishponds in both fresh and brackish water provide about one twelfth of the total annual catch. Many of the fishponds are located around Manila Bay because of the large local markets. The big lakes, Lake Lanao in Mindanao and Laguna de Bay on Luzon, supply large quantities of fish. Of the species caught on inland waters, the most common are milkfish (bangus) and tilapia. Bangus culture in brackish ponds has been practiced for many years, and the production of this fish has been increased through the conversion of swamps into fishponds. Tilapia is ideal for fishponds because it matures in about four months. It is a hardy fish that thrives in nearly all kinds of water.

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