ILOILO – Starting Friday, November 15, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Western Visayas will implement a closed season in the Visayan Sea, prohibiting the fishing, buying, consuming, and selling of sardines, herrings, and mackerels until February 15, 2025.
This measure is mandated by Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167-3 (2013), which aims to conserve these fish species by enforcing a seasonal and spatial fishing ban in the Visayan Sea.
The Visayan Sea is bordered by several islands, including Masbate to the north, Leyte to the east, Cebu and Negros to the south, and Panay to the west.
Known for its rich biodiversity, the Visayan Sea is a critical area for fishing, supplying a significant portion of the country’s sardines, mackerels, and other fish.
According to BFAR regional director Remia Aparri, the three-month moratorium on catching these species is intended to allow them to reach maturity, ensuring sustainability for future fishing seasons.
“One main purpose is to protect the juvenile fish, especially since this is the spawning season, allowing these species to reproduce and sustain their populations,” Aparri explained to Panay News.
Aparri noted that the annual closed season has proven effective, as there have been no recorded violations of the administrative order.
An increase in the abundance of sardines and mackerels during the summer months in Northern Iloilo and Antique serves as an indicator of success.
The long-standing practice has instilled awareness among locals, fostering compliance with the closed season regulations.
Although BFAR continues to face challenges with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, particularly involving methods like super hulbot-hulbot, Danish seine, and dynamite fishing, these incidents have significantly decreased.
Aparri encourages local government units (LGUs), fisherfolk, and communities to maintain vigilance over their municipal waters and report any illegal fishing activities to the authorities.
Under Fisheries Administrative Order 167-3, the specific species under protection through an annual closed season are the following:
* Bali Sardine (Sardinella lemuru, locally known as tamban, tunsoy or haul-haul)
* Short-bodied Mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma, known as hasa-hasa)
* Goldstripe Sardine (Sardinella gibbosa, known as halobaybay, tamban, lapad, tamban lison or lapa)
* Indian Mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta, known as bulao or alumahan)
* Fimbriated Sardina (Sardinella fimbriata, known as tunsoy, lao-lao, tabagak, tamban or liryan)
* Rainbow Sardine (Dussumieria acuta, known as tulis, balantiyong or hilos-hilos)
The yearly conservation effort covers several areas in the Visayas, including Olotayan Island and Culasi Point in Capiz, Talisay River in Iloilo, Tomonton Point in Negros Occidental, Gigantes Island Lighthouse in Iloilo, Madridejos and Bantayan Island in Cebu, and Danao River in Negros Occidental.
The Visayan Sea, an economic resource for local communities, is vital for over 100,000 fisherfolk who depend on it for their sustenance and livelihood.
The area is also a habitat for diverse marine life, including corals, mangroves, seagrasses, and marine protected areas./PN
