Value chain of sergestid shrimp (Acetes spp.) caught in Banate Bay, Iloilo Province, Philippines

• Published in: Maritime studies Vol. 22; no. 1
• Main Authors: Gay, Deborah B., Ramos, Maureen N., Ferrer, Alice Joan G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetes; Aquatic crustaceans; Crustaceans; Economic importance; Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management; Fishing; Fishing communities; Food sources; Industry; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Marine crustaceans; Men; Microprocessors; Municipalities; Processors; Shrimp fisheries; Shrimps; Social Sciences; Value chain; Value chains; Value engineering; Women; Philippines; Value-added; Gender; Value chain; Philippines; Shrimp; Channels
• ISSN: 1872-7859; 2212-9790
• DOI: 10.1007/s40152-022-00289-8

In the Philippines, as in other East African and Asian countries, the shrimps of the genus Acetes , family Sergestidae , a minor planktonic crustacean group, are highly valued for their economic importance. Sergestid shrimp, locally known as “hipon,” has long been a source of food and livelihood for the fishing communities in the municipalities of Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Banate, and Barotac Viejo that surround Banate Bay in the northern part of Iloilo Province, Philippines. A value chain analysis was conducted to assess the overall performance of this local shrimp industry. A total of 137 study participants were interviewed from January to March 2019 and were categorized based on the activities they performed. The big players in the value chain turned out to be the processor-traders, who sold 56.55% of the total volume of production in Banate Bay in 2018. The industry approximates a competitive market as most of the participants were price takers. The price of sergestid shrimp increased as it transformed from raw to processed forms. The processing activity generated the highest value-added, where women processors received PHP 68.35 (USD 1.30) per kilogram, while men processors received PHP 53.44 (USD 1.01) per kilogram. While women have incurred higher costs, they nonetheless received higher value-added than men. Catching sergestid shrimps was dominated by men, but women caught shrimp too. Processing turned out as an activity for both men and women. Women, however, dominated the trading of both fresh and processed sergestid shrimp.