The methods of the new surveys which are available in the “Guide for Fisheries Statistical Surveys” noted in Section 2.4 will be referred to but briefly in the following paragraphs. See also previous reports.
3.1.1 Commercial Fisheries
Fish Landing Surveys. A Fish Landing Survey was started at the two fish landing places in Lucena City in March 1969, one at Dalahican Beach where some 100 bagnetters land fish during the October to April fishing season and the other at Cotta Landing where some 20 trawlers land fish all the year round. The survey was originally planned to be conducted every other day but the Fishery Station in Lucena City changed it to a daily survey. Two enumerators observe the fish landing at Dalahican Beach early in the morning and count the number of fish baskets so as to estimate the daily landings. In the afternoon, they move to Cotta Landing and count the fish tubs for estimating the daily landings.
As of December 1969, Fish Landing Surveys were underway at Navotas, Damortis, Lucena and Mercedes, which are the four most important of ten landing places at which surveys need to be implemented.
3.1.2 Marine Municipal Fisheries
Identification Survey of Marine Barrios. By December 1968 this survey had covered about 70 percent of all the marine barrios in the country. By October 1969 a further 7 percent was covered in response to follow-up memoranda from the Commissioner to the Regional Directors of those Fisheries Regions in which the survey had not been completed.
Catch Survey of Marine Barrios. The Catch Survey of Marine Barrios was started in Fisheries Region IV in March 1969. Sixteen sample barrios were selected by the counterpart who employed the method which had been introduced by the expert for Fisheries Regions 1 and 111.
3.1.3 Fishpond Fisheries
Area Survey of Fishponds. About one half of the Municipal Treasurers in the country replied to the enquiries distributed under this survey by December 1968. Nearly all the remainder replied during 1969 consequent to a follow-up memorandum from the Commissioner to the Offices which had failed to report.
Productivity Survey of Fishponds. Since by mid-1969 the Area Survey of Privately Owned Fishponds was approaching completion and the list of Government-Leased Fishponds had been prepared by the counterpart, the expert designed the Productivity Survey of Fishponds. However, the Bureau of Agricultural Economics expressed its willingness to take over the implementation of the survey and with the agreement of the Commissioner of Fisheries and the Director of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics transfer of responsibility for this work took place in August 1969.
3.1.4 Inland Fisheries other than Fishponds
Fishery Surveys of Laguna de Bay. A report by the expert on the Listing Survey of Duck Farms and Fishing Families of the Fishery Survey of Laguna de Bay, which was carried out during September to November 1968, has been issued.
The second stage survey of the Fishery Survey of Laguna de Bay, i.e. the Duck For and Fish Catch Survey, was designed by the expert towards the end of 1969.
Inland Fishery Survey. Survey forms were sent to the Regional Directors early in January 1969, but during the year replies covering only 10 percent of all municipalit were received.
The contract for the tabulation of Fish Caught Report data for 1968 by IBM Philippines, Inc., was signed by the Commissioner of Fisheries on 11 April 1969, and was endorsed by the Secretary of the Department of General Services in the following June. The source data was transferred to Fish Caught Cards in the Fisheries Commission, and the cards were handed to IBM Philippines in July 1969. The completed statistical tables were received by the Fisheries Commission early in October. Matters concerning programming were dealt with by the expert and the IBM Coordinator of Programmers.
During this period the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources enquired about the possibility of utilizing the IBM computer installed in the Bureau of Lands Due to a serious shortage of programmers in the Bureau this was not possible for 1969 data but may be feasible commencing with the 1969 Fish Caught Reports. As a result two officers of the Fisheries Commission have attended a programming course provided by IBM Philippines and will receive further on-the-job training at the Bureau of Lands with a view to writing the programmes for tabulating the 1969 Fish Caught Report data.
In February 1969, officers of the Bureau of Census and Statistics prepared the first draft of the tables for presenting the statistics to be derived from replies to the Fisheries Household Questionnaire, and obtained the comments of the expert. A revised draft which took into account these comments were prepared in the following month. A similar procedure resulted in the preparation, in May 1969, of a second draft of tables to present the replies to the Fishing Establishment Questionnaire.
The expert also undertook the following activities during 1969:
Calculation of the income elasticity of the demand for fish, which was required by the Project for the calculation of production targets for the period 1969–1972.
The analysis of the fish price data available in the Fisheries Commission and advising the Chief of Market Assistance Section on techniques for deriving monthly and annual average prices and for developing a wholesale price index.
Advising the Committee on the Development Programme for Marine Municipal Fisheries.
Surveying the tuna fishery operated by small scale fishermen with a view to developing an export industry.
