Assessment of Fish Vending Parameters in Sta. Rosa Wet Market
Sabrina Cheyenne E. Chavez1, John Louis M. Grecalda1, Rylan A. Recto1*, and Martin Lorenzo L. Rosanes1 De La Salle University Integrated School
*corresponding author: [email protected] Dr. Allan N. Soriano
De La Salle University, Manila
Abstract: The diversity of the fishes in the Philippines is massive considering the fact that the Philippines is known as one of the major fish producers in the world. Knowing this, it is difficult to manage and protect marine biodiversity in order to maintain the quality of the fish being sold to the people, especially with the increase in threats to the marine ecosystem. This study aims to identify different fish stock data collected from the Santa Rosa Wet Market from December 2021 to February 2022, correlate the data, and compare the results with the previous studies. The study adopted the research designs and the pre-made questionnaires of related previous studies, and these questionnaires were given to the fish vendors working in the specified wet market. In analyzing the data, the researchers used Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the factor’s correlation with each other. As this is a study done in a different market without previously known parameters, the study will be important as a record for similar future studies that will be conducted in this same market. Since this study was conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions such as lockdowns have affected the data collection and this may have influenced the different parameters; which is why it is recommended that future studies maintain consistent data collection and that external factors, such as seasons, may be taken into account.
Keywords:Marine Biodiversity; Santa Rosa Wet Market; Pearson’s Correlation
1. INTRODUCTION
The Philippines is known to be one of the major fish producers globally due to its culture and aquascape. After compiling found data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), (Dorente, 2016), and (Fishbase, 2021), there are 3,638 fish species, 468 scleractinian corals, 1,755 reef-associated fishes, 648 species of mollusks, 19 species of seagrass, and 820 algae-based species in the Philippine marine biodiversity. In the first quarter of 2021, the volume of production in commercial fisheries totaled 195,673.91, with Round Scad (Galunggong) being the highest at 36,533.23 (PSA-OpenSTAT, 2021). This was a 1.03% decline from Quarter 1 (Q1) of 2020. On the other hand, Municipal
fisheries during the first quarter of 2021 had a 1.01% decline in production volume compared to the first quarter of the previous year. This decline shows that there were factors that hinder fishers from upscaling the volume of production such as the South China Sea Dispute. While it seems that the decline focuses on controversial events, it still does not account for the management and protection of these fishes, which is why imports, quality, and vendor parameters must be considered to keep up with the fresh quality of the fish.
With that said, the researchers have chosen the Santa Rosa Public Market as it is the main source of food and needs;
although, the study focused on the parameters of the fish sold at the market.
This study investigated the fish vending parameters in
Santa Rosa Public Market from October 2021 to February 2022, specifically aiming to do the following:
a) Identify fish stock data, including species, size, cost, and traceability in the Santa Rosa Wet Market.
b) Correlate the effect of cost, size, and traceability to the type of fish species available in the Santa Rosa Wet Market.
The study also incorporated vendors, surveyors, and tokens that made the data collection more effective.
2. METHODOLOGY
The activities are laid out in steps that were done over the weeks. There are nine activities that were conducted within this research, namely: Preparation of Survey Materials, Commissioning of a Surveyor, Survey Proper, Data Analysis, Interpretation of Results, Conclusion and Recommendations, preparation of the manuscript for student congress, and preparation of the final manuscript.
For the procedures of the research, a conceptual framework was created in which it summarizes each stage of the research venture for easy comprehension. The procedures that were conducted are seen in the framework (see Fig. 1) which shows the summarized flow of the methods used in the research. Each step has its own sub-activities needed in order to fully complete this. Once completed, the following step will commence.
Figure 1
Conceptual Framework Used in This Study
For the discussion with the stakeholders, it was required to have all those involved in the procedure know about the purpose of the study, the reason why they have been chosen as a participant, and is also required to provide a consent form to have them participate. This consent form will serve as their agreement to participate in the study. Stakeholders involved in the research are the fish vendors.
The data gathering activity was then commenced, wherein a survey was provided to the stakeholders. The survey included instructions in Tagalog to make it easier for the stakeholders to understand. Additionally, the survey included pictures of the fishes in color to help the vendors differentiate, confirm, and validate the fishes being observed.
Moreover, four fish parameters were gathered in the survey:
Size, Species, Traceability, and Price. The data was collected for a total of 7 weeks from December to February.
The size was measured in millimeters using a measuring tape. The species were identified by having substitute images in the survey for the vendors to see. The traceability was identified through the location of where the fish was caught.
The price was identified based on the vendor’s selling price preference.
With the data collected, the researchers moved on to the data analysis activity. This activity has two sub-activities:
Trends and Behaviors, and Correlation of Variables. Here, the changes in the variables were observed, and the variables were then correlated with one another, and compared to the data and results from previous studies.
Lastly, the summary, conclusion, and recommendations were finalized and based on the methods and the results.
Recommendations were given in order to help future researchers that would use this study to have more accurate results and a more detailed procedure.
Aside from the procedures of the research, a method for data analysis was implemented. The data analysis was conducted prior to the collection of data. For this, a correlation study was conducted to determine the changes and effects of fish prices based on fish species. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to relate the two factors. The results were then recorded using Microsoft Excel, with data organized according to the survey form, including the length, price, and source. The fish identification table was made, which will reference the fish species and fish families.
The researchers summarized the initial results and observations collected in the survey to overview the fishes included in the correlational studies.
Correlation studies have been conducted before, although comparing this and previous studies identified the factors that change and their effects on the fish parameters.
Since this study is a variation of the Muñoz market study, the researchers identified the previous studies as a different location. However, the comparison of the correlation can describe more about the fishes and their affected factors due to their location.
The researchers performed a correlational study between the size and source, and their effects on the price of the fish to assess their relationship with each other individually. The correlation between the fish parameters was then evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (Equation 1). This was used in this study to ensure consistency in assessing the parameters in line with the two previous studies.
𝑟 = 𝑛(Σ𝑥𝑦)−(Σ𝑥)(Σ 𝑦) [𝑛Σ𝑥²−(Σ𝑥)²][𝑛Σ𝑦²−(Σ𝑦)²]
Wherenis the number of paired values,Σxyis the sum of the products of paired values,Σxis the sum per family.Σy is the sum per family,Σx²is the sum of squaredxvalues, and Σy²is the sum of squaredyvalues.
The parameters that were correlated include (a) the average price and source per family, (b) the average price and source per species, (c) the average size and average price per family, and (d) the average size and average price per species.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
As illustrated in Figure 2, there were eight (8) sources of fishes identified; namely Quezon, Laguna lake, Talisay, Dagupan, Cavite, Lucena, Talisay, Palawan, and Vietnam.
The primary source in this study is Quezon, totaling 61.3% of the observed fishes.
Figure 2
Sources of Fish Identified in This Study
Table 1
Comparison of Results Between This Study From Previous Work
Parameters
Gapuz, J., Ruelos, M,.Uy, D.,Yao, M.,
(2021)
Current Study
No. of identified species
74 83
Price range
(Php/kg) 90-1200 140-650
Size range (mm) 40-890 5-1220
No. of Sources 7 8
Period for the Study Conducted
Sept 2019 - Jan 2020 Dec 2021 - Feb 2022
This summarized table above are the gathered fish parameters from the Sta. Rosa Wet Market. Additionally, this shows the comparison between the data collected from this study and the data collected from the previous study conducted by Gapuz, et.al. (2021) in the Muñoz Market. In this study, there were 83 identified fish that were incorporated in 37 fish families, and fish prices ranged from Php 140-650 per kilogram. Along with these, the average fish length ranged from 5-1220 mm, wherein the highest average at 1220
mm can be noticed among the Cutlassfish family. The number of species, price range, and size ranges all increased.
This could have possibly occurred due to the implementation of lockdowns and restrictions on entering public places. This lessened the presence of buyers initially, but then gave a higher demand upon the easing of lockdowns. With the high demand for fish as consumer supply lessened, this gave a drastic impact on increasing the price range, and also a chance for the sellers to dominate the market and add more varieties.
When the fish data were correlated in the months of December to February, most of the weeks showed a weak positive correlation, while a single week in that span of time showed a weak negative correlation between fish length and price.
3.1. Price by Length of Fish Figure 3
Effect of Average Length Per Family on Average Price per Family
As organized by family, the correlation study showed a coefficient of -0.0689 or a negligible negative correlation, as illustrated in Figure 3 where the graph is almost horizontal with the x-axis.
Table 2
Effect Of Length On Price of Fish Per Species
Species Name Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
Interpretation
Nibea soldado -0.1412 very weak negative correlation Rastrelliger
faughni
-0.8756 very strong negative correlation Rastrelliger
kanagurta
0.6778 strong positive correlation Chanos chanos 0.1512 very weak positive
correlation Pterocaesio
Digramma
0.5889 moderately strong positive correlation Pterocaesio Marri 0.3678 weak positive
correlation Lutjanus
Monostigma
-0.2011 weak negative
correlation Gobiopterus
Lacustris
0.2567 weak positive
correlation Trichiurus
Lepturus
0.9519 very strong positive correlation Decapterus
Macrosoma
-0.6816 strong negative correlation Rastrelliger
Brachysoma
0.9899 very strong positive correlation Trachinotus
Blochii
0.8914 very strong positive correlation
As per individual species seen in Table 2, Rastreliger Brachysoma showed the highest significant correlation value of 0.9899. This is because the species was sourced from three different locations including Palawan, Quezon, and Laguna Lake but being the most expensive when sourced from Palawan.
3.2. Price by Source of Fish
Correlated according to their respective families, the species under the families Trichiuridae and Mullidae showed a very high positive correlation as shown in Table 3. This was interpreted as the source being a factor in the quality of the fish sold, which implied a higher price.
Table 3
Effect Of Source On Average Fish Price Per Family
Family Name
Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
Interpretation
Ariidae 0.4858 moderately strong
positive correlation
Belonidae -0.1679 very weak negative
correlation
Caesionidae -0.2562 weak negative
correlation
Carangidae 0.1342 very weak positive
correlation
Chanidae 0.5233 moderately strong
positive correlation
Cichlidae 0.3490 weak positive
correlation
Clariidae -0.7812 strong negative
correlation
Trichiuridae 0.9872 very strong positive
correlation
Engraulidae 0.4529 moderately strong
positive correlation
Gerridae -0.7632 strong negative
correlation
Gobiidae 0.5639 moderately strong
positive correlation
Haemulidae 0.0339 very weak positive
correlation
Lethrinidae 0.6782 strong positive
correlation
Lutjanidae 0.1919 very weak positive
correlation
Mugilidae 0.7680 strong positive
correlation
Mullidae 0.8719 very strong positive
correlation
Scrombridae -0.9681 very strong negative
correlation
3.3. Price Progression of Fish
Three representative species from each price range (from highest to lowest) arranged in line graphs were included in the comparison so that all three price ranges would be constituted.
Figure 3
Price Progression Of The Three Most Expensive Fish
Figure 4
Price Progression Of The Three Mid-Range Fish
Figure 5
Price Progression Of The Three Least Expensive Fish
In the more expensive range, the prices were at a steady constant and occasionally up and down which included the Epiniphilus Taciatus and Epinephelus Areolatus as seen in Figure 3. The mid-range priced species in Figure 4 on the other hand showed a steady, but significant increase in price for the Lutjanus Madras species, while the other two species have some ups and downshifts over time. For the least expensive range seen in Figure 5, there has been no significant decrease in any price overall from the start to the end but did have some increase in price for two species including the Arius Maculatus and Stolephorus Waitei.
Despite the increase in species observed in the market, the prices were still at a steady increase due to the supply-demand relationship, and issues with other commodities and the depletion of aquaculture.
4. CONCLUSIONS
This study was conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, the production in fisheries has declined and this is in need of more sustainable practices giving
utmost importance to fish data assessment of different fish vending parameters.
From the months of December to February there have been significant changes in fish parameter relationships.
Noting that these months are also filled with holiday seasons where demand for fish is high, parameters such as length and price have noticeably increased with one another. Although after the onset of the new year, the price and length have noticeably shown an inverse relationship as the seasonal events come to a close. Eventful months of the year have placed a huge direct relationship impact on the fish vending parameters concerning length and price.
Recommendations for future studies include more frequent and consistent data collection. It is also recommended to have an annual assessment per market to maintain quality. Laboratory assessments may also be conducted to observe the conditions of the fishes in order to properly assess the quality.
5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our research supervisor, Dr. Allan N. Soriano from the Department of Chemical Engineering. Gokongwei College of Engineering, De La Salle University-Manila for his invaluable guidance and support throughout this research.
Without his patience and understanding, the completion of this research would not be possible.
6. REFERENCES
Arcangel, R. S., Caleja, M. L., Ignao, A. A., & Orejudos, A. B. (2019). Characterization, Identification, and Effect of Size and Source or Traceability on the Price of Fishes Sold at Muñoz Market in Quezon City, Philippines.Unpublished study, Mapúa University.
Dorente, E. (2016). Philippine marine biodiversity: A brief profile. Haribon Foundation.
https://haribon.org.ph/philippine-marine-biodiversity- a-brief-profile/
Fishbase. (2021). Commercially Important Fishes
Occurring in Philippines.
https://www.fishbase.in/Country/CountryChecklist.p hp?what=list&trpp=50&c_code=608&csub_code=&
cpresence=reported&sortby=alpha2&ext_CL=on&ex t_pic=on&vhabitat=commercial
Gapuz, J., Ruelos, M., Uy, D., & Yao, M. (2021). A Comparative Study on the Effects of Size and Sources or Traceability on the Price of Identified Fish Species Sold at Muñoz market, Quezon City,1–80.
Unpublished study, De La Salle University.
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2016). The Philippine Marine Fishere Resources | What Will Remain for the Children of the 21st Century?
https://psa.gov.ph/content/fishery-resources
