3-month ban on fishing for ‘tamban’ starts in Zamboanga Peninsula, ARMM

The three-month ban on fishing for "tamban" or sardines started on Saturday in the Zamboanga Peninsula and parts of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) implemented the fishing ban to allow the tamban to grow bigger, according to a report on News TV Live on Sunday.

The ban will stay in place until March 2019.

The BFAR Region 9 and the Philippine Coast Guard have begun monitoring the seas to ensure that the ban is not violated.

The closed fishing season has been beneficial for the fishing and canning industries.

It has become an opportunity for factories to clean the equipment used for canning sardines.

Fishermen also make use of the time they cannot go to sea to repair fishing nets and fix their boats.

The local government, in partnership with government agencies, has provided a livelihood program for affected factory workers. —KG, GMA News