• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The three-month closed fishing season for sardines and mackerel in the Visayan Sea starts today, Nov. 15, until Feb. 15 next year, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Western Visayas said.
The ban covers species of sardines, like bali sardine, or tamban, tunsoy, haul-haul; goldstripe sardine, or halobaybay, lapad, tamban lison, lapa; fimbriated sardine or tunsoy, lao-lao, tabagak, liryan; and rainbow sardine, or tulis, balantiyong, hilos-hilos.
It is also prohibited to catch short-bodied mackerel or hasa-hasa, and indian mackerel or bulao and alumahan, as well as their larvae, fry or young, locally as lupoy, silinyasi, linatsay, or manansi within the conservation area, based on Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167-3, the BFAR said.
This is to ensure the protection and conservation of these species in the Visayan Sea.
The areas of closure in Western Visayas include northern Negros, covering the towns of EB Magalona and Manapla, and the cities of Victorias, Sagay, Cadiz, and Escalante; northern Iloilo, from Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, and Carles; and part of Capiz, including Roxas City, Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas, and Panay.
The Island of Bantayan in Central Visayas and parts of Masbate are also covered by the closed fishing season.
A study made by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, one of the sectoral councils of the Department of Science and Technology, said the Visayan Sea is a major source of food, income, and livelihood for 22 local government units in the provinces of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Cebu, and Masbate. | CGC
