The volume of export-quality or sashimi-grade fresh mature yellowfin tuna landed at General Santos City, the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines,” is getting fewer year-on-year.
Data from the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) showed that export-grade yellowfin tuna landing in the first quarter of the year reached only 505 metric tons (MT).
This is down 4.3 percent or 23 MT from the 528 recorded in the first three months of 2012, data from the state-owned corporation added.
PFDA, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), manages the operation of the local fish port complex, as well as seven other fish complexes in the different parts of the country.
The best yellowfin tuna stocks go mostly to the United States and Japan, where they are served in fancy sashimi or sushi restaurants.
Most of the fresh mature yellowfin tuna landed locally goes to the domestic markets, simply because they do not pass the export quality.
There was in fact a significant increase in the landings of non-export grade yellow fin tuna in the first quarter of 2013 to 2,034 MT from 1,517 MT for the same period last year, up 34 percent or by 517 MT.
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