THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is bullish about fish production next year and has even targeted to increase the volume of fish supply to 5.7 million metric tons (MMT) in 2009.

The DA said the hike in fisheries production for next year will come from aquaculture production of bangus, tilapia, shrimps, seaweeds and other high-value marine species.

Of this 5.7-million ton target, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) expects 2.8 MMT to come from aquaculture; 1.6 MMT from municipal fishing; and 1.3 MMT from commercial fishing.

“The BFAR will also build more mariculture parks and multi-species hatcheries in selected areas nationwide, in addition to existing hatcheries in Tawi-Tawi, Palawan and the Visayas,” said DA Secretary Arthur Yap in a statement.

For this year, the DA said it remains confident that fisheries production will grow by 10 percent despite the havoc wreaked by a number of typhoons in major fish-producing areas. Typhoon Frank alone has already caused billions of pesos in damage to the fisheries sector in the Visayas.

The BFAR projects that fishery and aquaculture harvests would hit 5.2 MMT, consisting of 2.5 million MT from aquaculture sector, 1.3 MMT from commercial fisheries and 1.4 MMT from municipal fishing.

Earlier, the DA said shrimp production will play an important role in boosting fisheries production this year.

In 2007 production of the fisheries subsector grew by 6.8 percent to 4.7 MMT.

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