ILOILO – The closed season for the catching of sardines, herrings and mackerels in the Visayan Sea has ended.
After the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) recently announced the lifting of the ban, fishing activities right away resumed.
The ban started on Nov. 15, 2018 and ended on Feb. 15 under Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167-3.
According to BFAR regional director Remia Aparri, the three-month fishing prohibition helped increase the population of sardines, herrings and mackerels.
“It was really for fishers so they can have increased catch and increased income,” said Aparri.
The three-month closed season for fishing was the peak of the spawning period of the three fish varieties.
In Western Visayas, the particular portion of the Visayan Sea closed started from the waters of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo to Manapla and Escalante in Negros Occidental and back to Gigantes Island in Carles, Iloilo and towards Roxas City in Capiz province.
The Visayan Sea covers five provinces and 33 coastal towns from Regions 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas), and 7 (Central Visayas).
Around 20 percent of the total production of these fish species came from Western Visayas./PN
