Sardine fishing in Zamboanga closed for 3 months

MANILA, Philippines — The National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council has approved the adjustment in the implementation of the closed fishing season for sardines in Zamboanga peninsula.

Sardine fishing in the waters of East-Sulu Sea, Basilan Strait and Sibuguey Bay is prohibited   for three months from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15, according to Demosthenes Escoto, chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The ban in Zamboanga peninsula will be implemented simultaneously with the closing of the fishing season in the Visayan Sea.

Escoto said the changes came after a study conducted by the BFAR’s national stock assessment program and the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute in the region showed that the spawning period of mature sardines peaks from October to January.

The previous closed fishing season, which was from Dec. 1 to March 1, did not include the month of November.

“Our policies are continuously subjected to reviews and assessments. If scientific researchers find our measures in need of improvements, then we commit to modifying our programs based on scientific evidence,” Escoto said.

Earlier, Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban signed Memorandum Circular 36 allowing the importation of 35,000 metric tons of fish to prevent shortage during the closed fishing season.

The memorandum allows importers to bring in frozen round and bigeye scads, mackerel, bonito and moonfish from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31

The volume of fish imported this year is 29 percent higher than the 25,000 metric tons allowed by the DA in 2022 due to the expected drop in the fishery production this year.