3-month fishing ban begins in Visayan Sea

Commercial and municipal fishing in the Visayan Sea is prohibited for three months starting Sunday as authorities enforce the annual closed season to allow fish stocks to replenish and protect the region’s marine resources.

Ahead of the ban, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 6 (DA-BFAR 6) and the Capiz provincial government gathered local officials, fisheries law enforcers, and fisherfolk for a policy dialogue on Friday at the Capiz Provincial Capitol.

Discussions centered on compliance and enforcement protocols under Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167-3, which governs the seasonal restriction.

BFAR Region 6 director Remia A. Aparri underscored the economic value of safeguarding the local fisheries sector, citing that Capiz ranked first in fisheries output in Western Visayas with milkfish, or bangus, production exceeding 117,000 metric tons last year.

She stressed that sustainable management directly supports local livelihoods and regional food security.

Capiz Governor Fredenil H. Castro urged government agencies, maritime law enforcement units, and coastal communities to share the burden of marine conservation.

“This obligation is not only for law enforcement agencies, not only for the Coast Guard or BFAR; each and every Filipino is called upon to take on this challenge,” Castro said.

During the forum, BFAR-National Stock Assessment Program Region 6 project leader Sheryll V. Mesa outlined the ecological framework of the closed season, locally known as “Ang Pahuway sang Baybay.”

Meanwhile, the Capiz Provincial Bantay Dagat presented its operational strategies for curbing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

Edwin Caldea, a member of the Amoma Binaobawan Fisherfolk Association, attested to the tangible benefits of the annual moratorium, observing that fish have grown larger and more abundant in their fishing grounds in Pilar, Capiz.

He recalled an incident where a local vessel even sank due to an overwhelmingly large catch of sardines, locally known as tamban, adding that strict adherence to the ban requires cooperation among fisherfolk, community leaders and regulators.

On the sidelines of the dialogue, the Capiz provincial government and the Maritime Industry Authority signed a memorandum of agreement to establish a Marina satellite office in Roxas City.

The facility aims to streamline commercial fishing vessel registration, expedite document processing, and bring regulatory services closer to maritime stakeholders, fulfilling a key recommendation by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

Castro and Marina Region 6 director Bernardo A. Pollo signed the accord, witnessed by representatives from partner government agencies, the Philippine Coast Guard, fisherfolk groups and commercial boat operators.