Published December 28, 2020, 5:00 PM
There is a need to strictly implement and put into motion the National Sardines Management Plan especially during the closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea to ensure food and livelihood security for municipal fisherfolk and commercial fish workers during the period.
Based on the Fisheries Administrative Order no. 167-3 issued in 2013, portions of the Visayan Sea are closed for catching, selling, and buying of sardines and herrings (tamban/ tabagak/ tamban-tuloy/ balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/ alumahan) while the Zamboanga Peninsula’s closed fishing season is for sardines only.
The closed season in the Visayan Sea started on November 15 until February 15, 2021 while the Zamboanga Peninsula closed season for sardines started on December 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021.