The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) lifted the closed fishing season for the conservation of sardines, herrings, and mackerels in the waters of the Visayan Sea on Thursday, February 16.
Commercial fishers may resume their operations within the conservation area in the Visayan Sea, following the three-month ban on catching said fish species, the BFAR in Western Visayas announced on its Facebook page.
The fishing ban was implemented over national and municipal waters in the provinces of Masbate, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Cebu.
No closed fishing season violators were reported, the BFAR said in a statement.
“No violation was committed against the three-month ban on catching, selling, and buying of sardine, herring, and mackerel species in the Visayan Sea,” it said.
“This shows that municipal fishers, commercial fishers, traders, and market vendors are compliant with the law and respect the ‘Pahuway sang Baybay’ (rest of the sea) despite the pandemic that challenged them and their means of livelihood,” it added.*