Agriculture Department expands sardine fishing ban

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala announced Wednesday that the government is expanding its three-month sardine fishing ban. It will now include the Visayan Sea in addition to the Zamboanga waters.

 

Alcala said during the launch of the 5-year ECOFISH Project of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the USAID in Quezon City that the closure of Zamboanga and the Visayan seas is necessary to ensure a more comprehensive management approach in sardine fisheries.

 

He added that scientific studies undertaken by the Fisheries Agency, as well as other research institutions, indicated that the three major species of sardines such as fimbriated sardines (tunsoy), Indian sardines (tamban) and round herring (tulis) in the waters off Zamboanga and the Visayan Seas belong to one stock only.

 

This means that the fish breed and spawn at the same time. 

 

The Visayan Seas straddle four regions in the country – Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas.

 

Together with the ARMM, these regions contribute some 30-35 percent of the total sardine production.

 

The Zamboanga Peninsula provides 40-45 percent of the total catch.

 

The Fisheries Bureau first implemented the sardine closed season (fishing ban) in the East Sulu Sea, Basilan Strait and Sibuguey Bay from December 2011 to February 2012.

 

A second closed season will be imposed within the immediate 3 months with the same timeframe as the earlier ban.

 

Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167 stipulates that the area covered by the closed season starts from the mouth of the Danao River on the northeastern tip of the Bantayan Island to Madridejos, thru the light house on the Gigantes Island to Clutaya Island, to Culasi Point in Capiz Province; cast ward along the northern coast of Capiz to Bulacaue Point in Caries, Iloilo; southward along the eastern coast of Iloilo to the mouth of Talisay River; westward across Guimaras Strait to Tomonton Point in Occidental Negros; eastward along the northern coast of the Island of Negros and back to the mouth of Danao River in Escalante, Negros Occidental.

 

“The collaboration between the local government units, private fishing companies, law enforcers and all other stakeholders was very impressive. Compliance was close to 100 percent,” says Alcala.

 

“It is worth noting that because of this compliance, the increase in sardine production is very impressive even within a short period following the lifting of the ban,” he added.

 

The latest data on sardine production in Zamboanga Peninsula showed an increase of 13 percent from 63,351 metric tons in the second quarter of 2011 to 72,446 MT year-on-year according to the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics.

 

Sardines, which include herring, is a major food fish species constituting close to 20 percent of the total catch of municipal and commercial fisheries sector in 2010.

 

In Zamboanga peninsula, close to 30, 000 direct and indirect workers rely on the sardines industry for their livelihood.

 

“The management of our fisheries stocks has to be made more comprehensive to ensure sustainability. In the case of sardines stocks, improving its yield is also expected to bring about a significant increase in tuna production because tunas feed primarily on sardines,” Fisheries Bureau Director Asis Perez said.

 

The Bureau is currently consulting with different LGUs and the stakeholders to ensure that the implementation of the closed season will run smoothly. — DVM, GMA News