Fish inventory and fishing practices in Candaba swamp, Philippines: their implication to fishermen’s income

Abstract

This study generally aimed to make an inventory of fishes in Candaba Swamp and documented the fishing practices of the local fishermen as they are related to their income. The study documented 14 different species of fishes, each representing 14 families in the Barangays of San Agustin and Dukma Paralaya. The fourteen species were the Elopshawaiensis, Glossobiusgiurus, Megalops cyprinoides,Cyprinuscarpio, Trichopodus pectoralis, Clariasbatrachus, Hypostomus plecostomus, Arius dispar, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Anabas testudineus, Carassiuscarasius, Labeorohita, Hypophthalmichthysnobilis, Oreochromis niloticus. The Inventory recorded the Tilapia,Common Carp and Hito species as the most dominant species in Candaba Swamp. Fishermen’s ages were between 20 to 89, most of them were between 50-59, used the “panti” (kitig) as fishing gear and with daily income ranging from 100 pesos to 1,500 pesos. The total income of the fisherman during the wet season is from 1,000 pesos to 10,000 pesos, and the daily expenses in each fishing trip is from 20 pesos to 100 pesos which is mostly used for gasoline. The fishermen’s income depended on the number of fishes they catch which was affected by changes in season. The Cost-Benefit-Analysis showed a net income Of P281.27 per day with a Return of Investment of 174.4%.