By Jay Lim Tayabas Bay is placed under a seasonal fishing ban aimed at restoring sardine populations and ensuring long-term sustainability ...
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| Tayabas Bay is placed under a seasonal fishing ban aimed at restoring sardine populations and ensuring long-term sustainability of the area’s fisheries. (Tripadvisor) |
TAYABAS CITY, Quezon - With coastal livelihoods and a key food source at stake, authorities have moved to avert a looming fisheries crisis in Southern Luzon. The Department of Agriculture (DA) has recently imposed a seasonal fishing ban in Tayabas Bay following scientific findings showing a sharp decline in sardine populations in the area.
The measure is contained in Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 274, Series of 2025, signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.. The order establishes a closed fishing season aimed at protecting Bali sardinella (Sardinella lemuru), a key species that supports coastal livelihoods and sustains fishing communities across Southern Luzon.
The DA said the order was issued after stock assessments revealed that sardine populations in Fisheries Management Area (FMA) 12 have breached critical “Limit Reference Points,” signaling a high risk of stock collapse if left unmanaged. Long-term studies conducted by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) showed a significant decline in mature and so-called “mega-spawner” sardines between 2014 and 2022, underscoring the urgency of management intervention.
Under the new regulation, the use of purse seines, ring nets, and bagnets is prohibited in Tayabas Bay from November 1 to January 1 to allow sardines to spawn without disturbance. From January 1 to March 1, fine-mesh nets for beach seines, motorized push nets, and municipal bagnets are banned to protect juvenile sardines locally known as manamsi or silinyasi.
Allan Castillo, Chief Fishing Regulations Officer of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) CALABARZON, said the order is expected to take full effect by mid-January 2026. He said the policy followed years of research and extensive consultations with fishing communities and industry stakeholders.
“It wasn’t easy making everyone understand why this closed season is necessary,” Castillo said. “We conducted successive consultations to explain the results of long-term studies. Implementation will be challenging, and cooperation from all sectors is crucial.”
To deter illegal fishing and ensure compliance with the closed season, the DA imposed graduated penalties that vary according to the scale of fishing operations. Fines range from ₱20,000 for municipal fishers to as much as ₱500,000 for large-scale commercial operators, or up to five times the value of the illegal catch.
The order also includes a review and adjustment clause allowing the BFAR Director to modify the timing of the ban—potentially starting as early as October 15—based on updated biological data. The DA said this precautionary approach aims to rebuild sardine stocks while ensuring the long-term sustainability of fisheries and livelihoods in Southern Luzon.
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