ILOILO – The three-month closed season for fishing in the Visayan Sea started yesterday until Feb. 15, 2023.
Fisherfolks are banned from catching, selling and buying sardines, mackerel and herring in a portion of the marine biodiversity-rich Visayan Sea.
Visayan Sea is a vast fishing ground surrounded by 33 cities and municipalities of the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, and Masbate.
As a vital resource, it is home to hectares upon hectares of corals, mangroves, seagrasses, and marine protected areas (MPA). But it is also vulnerable and threatened by cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and increasing marine debris.
The closed season is prohibition is in accordance with Fisheries Administrative Order 167-3, which establishes the Visayan Sea closed season. The order provides for the legal basis in enforcing a spatial and temporal closure in the portion of the Visayan Sea.
The move aims to conserve and protect the economically important species in the said fishing ground during their spawning period.
“Isa ang Visayan Sea sa may pinakadaku nga gina-amot pag-abot sa pangisdaan sa aton pungsod. Labaw sa 100,000 nga manugpangisda ang nagasalig sang ila pagkaon kag pangabuhian sa Visayan Sea. Apang padayon sa pagnubo ang produksyon tungod sa overfishing. Kinanglan sang Visayan Sea ang pahuway,” the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Western Visayas said.
Areas of closure in Western Visayas include northern Iloilo covering from Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, and Carles; parts of Capiz including Roxas City, Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas, and Panay; and northern Negros covering EB Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Sagay City, Cadiz City, and Escalante City.
Closed season also covers the Island of Bantayan in Central Visayas./PN
