ILOILO City – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is urging local government units and coastal communities to help enforce the yearly three-month closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15 next year.
Catching, trading, selling, and marketing of sardines, herring and mackerel in the Visayan Sea are prohibited within the said period, said BFAR-6 director Remia Aparri.
“This would allow the fishes to spawn or breed freely. Para man ini sa aton mga mangingisda kag sa future generation,” Aparri told Panay News.
Fisheries Administrative Order 167-3, Series of 2013 establishes a closed season for the conservation of sardines, herrings, mackerels in the Visayan Sea. It provides for the legal basis in enforcing a spatial and temporal closure in the portion of the Visayan Sea.
According to Aparri, almost all fishing vessel operators have been compliant with the bureau’s policy.
There were no reports so far of fishing vessels encroaching on the portion where fishing of the pelagic species has been banned, said Aparri.
“We want to maintain the momentum para mas mabatyagan sang mga stakeholders nga importante ang pag-obserbar sang closed season,” she added.
Particularly, species not permitted for catching, trading, and buying included sardines and herrings (tamban/tabagak/tamban-tuloy/balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/alumahan).
The amended administrative order specifies the prohibitions and the corresponding penalties for the violators like imprisonment for six months to six years and fine of P6,000, depending on the gravity of the offense.
According to Aparri, the closed season is effective, citing the bountiful fishes found on the coast of Estancia, Iloilo last month.
The Visayan Sea, one of the country’s largest fishing grounds, is surrounded by the islands of Cebu and Negros to the south; Masbate to the north; Panay to the west; and Leyte to the east.
According to Aparri, the three-month fishing ban covers the following areas:
* Seas in northern Iloilo from Barotac Nuevo towards Carles;
* Roxas City, Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas in Capiz;
* E.B. Magalona, Victorias City, Manaplan, Sagay, Cadiz City, and Escalante City in Negros Island;
* Bantayan Island in Northern Cebu.
As a vital resource, the Visayan Sea is home to hectares of corals, mangroves, seagrasses, and marine protected areas. But it is also vulnerable and threatened by cases of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and increasing marine debris.
BFAR is the government agency responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of fisheries and aquatic resources./PN
