• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has lifted the closed fishing season for the conservation of sardines, herring, and mackerel in the waters of the Visayan Sea.
“Commercial fishers may resume their operations within the conservation area in the Visayan Sea,” the DA-BFAR said in an advisory.
The three-month closed fishing season, that ended Feb. 15, 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.
Also prohibited was the catching of short-bodied mackerel or hasa-hasa, and indian mackerel or bulao and alumahan, including their larvae, fry or young, locally called lupoy, silinyasi, linatsay, or manansi.
The yearly ban is based on Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167-3, and aims to ensure the protection and conservation of these species in the Visayan Sea, which is a major source of food, income, and livelihood for 22 local government units in the provinces of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Cebu, and Masbate.
The conservation zone in Western Visayas includes northern Negros, covering the towns of E.B. 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. | CGC
