BFAR-7 declares fishing ban in the Visayan Sea

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines —The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 7 yesterday declared a closed fishing season around the Visayan Sea for sardines, herrings and mackerels — from November 15 this year to February 15, 2018 — while also banning commercial fishing vessels along the Tañon Strait.

BFAR-7 OIC provincial fisheries officer Nathaniel Lucero cited Fisheries Administrative Order 167-3 as the basis in declaring the three-month period as a close season for fishing, to allow the breeders to spawn and renegerate for sustainability.

Abundance of the supply for sardines, mackerels and herrings will however depend on how effective would be the enforcement of the ban, the existing laws and the cooperation of government agencies, as well as civil societies and local government units, among other stakeholders at large, Lucero said.

Negros Oriental acting Governor Doc Mark Macias—who attended the send-off ceremony for new patrol vessels to enforce the ban—said that the small and marginalized fishermen can still fish within the Tañon Strait but "definitely not the commercial fishing vessels."

Tañon Strait's protected area superintendent (PASU) Prosfero Lendio admited that areas within Tañon Strait are very vulnerable to illegal commercial fishing but his office will do its best in enforcing the law, in cooperation with LGUs and other government agencies.

Oceana Philippines Vice President Gloria Estenzo Ramos said the BFAR-7 declaration is one of the most memorable moments since they started doing the campaign to protect Tañon Strait.

"It's like a dream coming true for the civil society organization, the national government agencies, and LGUs working together to protect the vastly threatened eco-system" in the area, said Ramos, who is also a lawyer. Oceana has been working for reforms in national fisheries policies, while pushing for fishing vessels monitoring.

Amlan town Mayor Gino dela Cruz (site management unit head for the southern part of Tañon Strait covering the areas from Sibulan to Bais City), said the objective is to have a sustainable availability of fish for "our communities in Negros Oriental, for Cebu province, and for Negros Occidental." He however said the problem now is the availability of patrol boats.

The executive committee of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), in a meeting last week, was informed that Cebu province has allocated four patrol boats in its 2018 budget for the purpose. Negros Occidental also committed support, as well as Negros Oriental.

Macias later told the media that he already signed an allocation of about P300,000 for the repair of Capitol's patrol boats to be used in monitoring Tañon Strait. (FREEMAN)