Visayan Sea closed season starts, will last until Feb. 15; Areas of closure include Northern Iloilo, parts of Capiz, Northern Negros

Species not permitted for catching, selling, and buying only include sardines and herrings (tamban/tabagak/tamban-tuloy/balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/alumahan). BFAR VIA DA-6
Species not permitted for catching, selling, and buying only include sardines and herrings (tamban/tabagak/tamban-tuloy/balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/alumahan). BFAR VIA DA-6

NOW more than ever, our sea needs rest.

The agriculture and fisheries sector proved to be the most important during these trying times. These sectors provided and keep providing us our primary need – food.

Ang pagtilaw sang pandemya nagpakita sa aton nga tuman ka importante ang sektor sang agrikultura kag palangisdaan. Kag sa aton pagbuligay, sa pag-amlig kag pagtatap sang aton kadagatan, nasigurado naton nga may isda sa kada lamesa diri sa aton rehiyon,” BFAR-6 Regional Director Remia Aparri said.

Building on from last year’s successful awareness campaigns, Visayan Sea Closed Season: Ang Pahuway sang Baybay and Bantay Visayan Sea, the bureau reiterates that every person can and must take part in looking after the sea while it takes its much needed rest through the closed season.

Ang closed season amo ang tion sang pagbihod kag pagbuto sang tamban, bulaw, gumaa, balantiyong, tuloy, tabagak, kag hasa hasa. Hatagan naton sila sang tion para magdamo kag magdalagko. Sa ulihi kita man gihapon ang makapulos sini,” Aparri added.

The closed season will last for three months, from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15 of the following year. Areas of closure in Western Visayas include Northern Iloilo covering from Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan, and Carles; part of Capiz including Roxas City, Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas, and Panay; and Northern Negros covering EB Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Sagay City, Cadiz City, and Escalante City. Closed season also covers the Island of Bantayan in Central Visayas.

Masangkad kag mapuslanon ang Visayan Sea sa aton tanan. Madamo nga dunang-manggad ang nahatag kag padayon nga ginahatag sini sa aton. Apang talatapon man ang Visayan Sea kag kinahanglan sini sang pahuway. Gani, sa sini nga tion na man nga nagapangayo ang aton baybay sang pahuway, buligay kita liwat sa pagbantay sini,” said RD Aparri.

Species not permitted for catching, selling, and buying only include sardines and herrings (tamban/tabagak/tamban-tuloy/balantiong) and mackerels (hasa-hasa/ gumaa/ bulao/alumahan).

Fisheries Administrative Order 167-3 series of 2013 is the policy establishing a closed season for the conservation of sardines, herrings, mackerels in the Visayan Sea. It provides for the legal basis in enforcing a spatial and temporal closure in the portion of the Visayan Sea.

Visayan Sea as vast fishing ground is surrounded by the 33 cities and municipalities of the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, and Masbate. As a vital resource, it is home to hectares upon hectares of corals, mangroves, seagrasses, and marine protected areas (MPA). But it is also vulnerable and threatened by cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and increasing marine debris.

As stakeholders, we enjoin everyone to take part in Bantay Visayan Sea while it takes its much deserved pahuway. (with BFAR-6/PN)

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