Oceana Philippines, a leading global ocean conservation organization, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and over the past decade, its advocacy has significantly impacted national fisheries reforms.
Decline of sardines catch in Bicol, Samar at alarming rate mb.com.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mb.com.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A tale of two seas: Closed season is a mixed bag for Philippine sardines industry
Since 2011, the Philippine government has imposed a closed fishing season on various major fishing grounds during the sardine spawning season.
Implemented during the tail end of the year until March the following year, the closed fishing season has been both a boon and bane for communities.
In the sardine capital of the Zamboanga Peninsula in the country’s south, the ban has boosted catch sizes for artisanal fishers, while in the Visayan Sea in the central Philippines, catches have dwindled.
Experts point to different implementations of the fishing ban in the two regions and highlight the need to assess the economic implications of the measures, particularly to marginalized fishers.