ILOILO CITY – As the Visayan Sea reopened to commercial fishing on February 16, militant fisherfolk group PAMALAKAYA-Panay launched a scathing attack on the government’s three-month closed season policy, branding it a “failure” that disproportionately punishes small fishers while allowing commercial operators to continue exploiting marine resources.
In a statement issued following the lifting of the ban under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 167, the group argued that the decades-old conservation measure has become outdated and ineffective, failing to reverse declining national fish production while deepening poverty among municipal fisherfolk.
Nathaniel Baga-ut, spokesperson of PAMALAKAYA-Panay, questioned the credibility of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in enforcing science-based management, saying the annual closure has become a “band-aid solution” to what he described as a decaying fisheries system.
“Dahil dito, mahirap pangatwiranan at nawawalan ng saysay ang isang fish ban na polisiya kapag hindi ito obhetibo, napapanahon, lapat sa karanasan ng mga apektado, at nagdudulot lamang ng mas maraming peligro kaysa benepisyo,” Baga-ut said.
FAO 167 prohibits the catching and selling of sardines, herrings, and mackerels during their peak spawning season from November to February. However, the group argued that fish reproduction occurs multiple times a year due to climate change and favorable geographical conditions, making the fixed seasonal ban questionable.
PAMALAKAYA-Panay also flagged what it described as a discrepancy in BFAR’s reported gains in fish sufficiency. While the agency earlier cited improved figures, Baga-ut noted that the reported increase involved species such as milkfish (bangus) and round scad (galunggong) — species not covered by FAO 167 and largely sourced from aquaculture and imports.
Citing the Philippine Fisheries Profile for 2023 and 2024, the group maintained that overall national production has declined, showing that isolated conservation policies without socioeconomic support and alternative livelihoods for displaced fishers are bound to fail.
The group further warned of a possible “rebound effect,” where intensified fishing immediately after the closed season could offset conservation gains achieved during the ban.
Baga-ut also underscored what he described as a “double standard” in enforcement, citing data showing 1,038 commercial vessel detections during the ban period, including 162 in the Visayan Sea, compared to the minimal daily catch of small-scale fishers.
“Ang krisis sa pangisdaan ay produkto ng isang nabubulok na sistema at inutil na pamahalaan. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit nananatiling pinakamahirap ang mga mangingisda sa bansa. Kaya ang pagsawalang-bahala sa interes ng mga mamamalakaya ay kalapastanganan din sa kinabukasan ng bansa,” Baga-ut added.
The group called for the immediate scrapping of the annual fish ban and urged the government to adopt inclusive, science-based conservation measures that protect both marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of municipal fisherfolk. (RJM/PN)
