3-month fishing ban in Visayan Sea

CEBU, Philippines – Fishing of sardines, herrings, and mackerels in the Visayan (Bantayan) Sea is not allowed until February 15, 2015.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-7 announced yesterday that a three-month closed season on the catching of the said fishes will start on November 15.

BFAR Assistant Regional Director Allan Poquita made the announcement on the third straight closed season during the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza.

The Visayan Sea is a major fishing ground for sardines, herrings, and mackerels that the closed season is a way to enable the said fishes to replenish their numbers.

Poquita said their Composite Law Enforcement Agencies in Region 7 (CLEAR-7) would be concentrating in northern Cebu for the implementation of the closed season, which is stipulated under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 167.

“We are preparing five speedboats in the north. (Another one) coming is a big patrol boat from Manila to be manned by the Philippine Coast Guard in Bantayan; other seacrafts are on standby in Hagnaya, (San Remigio town),” he said.

Meanwhile, the Northern Cebu Commercial Fishing Operators Association (NOCCOFOA) said the program has its “all-out support.”

“Ready na mi, naanad na mi ana kay ika-three years na,” said NOCCOFOA president Romeo Villaceran.

Meanwhile, BFAR said it has granted NOCCOFOA’s request that the ban be shortened to three months instead of four months to allow fishermen to catch fish by March.

The closed season guideline has been in existence since 1989 but it was seriously implemented and observed, with the full cooperation of all commercial fishing operators in the area as well as the local government units and other stakeholders, only in the late 2012.

Although the program is already covered by a FAO, Poquita is still hoping that LGUs pass ordinances banning the catching of egg-carrying fishes in their respective areas.

“Sayang kaayo kay there is possibility mabuhi na, millions ang itlog, bisan ten percent ana mabuhi, duna’y replenishment, modaghan ang atong isda,” Poquita said.

Villaceran attested that after the end of the previous bans, they noticed the abundance of fingerlings, which are expected to grow for harvesting on April and May.

He said that one fish tub of fingerlings would be equivalent to 100 tubs by the following month.

Villaceran vowed to support a yearly implementation of the closed season.  – /RHM (FREEMAN)