By Engr. Jay B. Laurino BFAR CALABARZON personnel, Bantay Dagat teams, and partner agencies gather at Lucena Fish Port Complex for the O...
By Engr. Jay B. Laurino
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| BFAR CALABARZON personnel, Bantay Dagat teams, and partner agencies gather at Lucena Fish Port Complex for the October 28 send-off ceremony marking the enforcement of Tayabas Bay’s tamban fishing restrictions. (BFAR) |
TAYABAS CITY, Quezon - Fishing restrictions are now being enforced across Tayabas Bay as authorities intensify efforts to protect declining tamban stocks and safeguard breeding populations during their spawning season. The two-phase conservation measure, which took effect November 1, regulates specified commercial and municipal fishing methods to prevent excessive harvesting and sustain the bay's fisheries resources.
Under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 274, Series of 2025, catching Bali sardinella using purse seines, ring nets, and bagnets is prohibited from November 1, 2026, to January 1, 2027. The restriction targets fishing operations using these methods, allowing mature sardines to reproduce while enforcement teams monitor compliance throughout the designated conservation period.
The restrictions cover designated waters extending from San Juan, Batangas, along the Quezon coastline to San Francisco, Quezon, including fishing grounds adjoining Marinduque. Fisheries authorities have mobilized personnel and Bantay Dagat teams to oversee affected waters, enforce prohibited fishing methods, and strengthen conservation efforts across Tayabas Bay.
The second phase, scheduled from January 1 to March 1, 2027, will prohibit specified fine-mesh nets used in fishing operations targeting juvenile sardines. These include beach seines locally known as pukot or hila-hila, motorized push nets, municipal bagnets, and similar fishing gear capable of capturing immature fish before reproduction.
The regulations affect fishing communities in Lucena City and the Quezon municipalities of Sariaya, Pagbilao, Padre Burgos, Agdangan, Unisan, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, Mulanay, and San Francisco. Commercial operators using prohibited gear must observe the initial closure, while municipal fisherfolk employing specified fine-mesh nets must comply with the succeeding restrictions beginning January 1.
BFAR CALABARZON, through the Fisheries Management Area 12 (FMA 12) Management Board, formally launched the closed fishing season during a send-off ceremony on October 28, 2026. Held at the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority–Lucena Fish Port Complex in Barangay Dalahican, the ceremony marked the deployment of fisheries personnel and partner agencies for monitoring, control, and surveillance operations.
Supporting the enforcement effort, the maritime mapping platform Karagatan Patrol has announced a new map layer identifying the waters covered by FAO No. 274 in Tayabas Bay. The feature provides coastal communities, fisheries managers, and enforcement partners with a geographical reference for locating regulated fishing grounds, clarifying conservation boundaries, and supporting compliance with seasonal restrictions.
Scientific assessments under the National Stock Assessment Program identified declining tamban catch rates in Tayabas Bay, prompting recommendations for stronger protection during critical reproductive periods. Fisheries research covering 2014 to 2022 examined sardine stocks and provided evidence supporting seasonal restrictions intended to protect mature breeding fish and reduce juvenile catches.
Bali sardinella, scientifically known as Sardinella lemuru, is a small schooling fish commonly found in warm coastal waters and forms part of the fisheries resources supporting local fishing communities. Known locally as tamban-tuloy, tuloy, tunsoy, and haul-haul, the species contributes to coastal fisheries production and remains an important marine resource for communities surrounding Tayabas Bay.
BFAR CALABARZON Chief Fishing Regulations Officer Allan Castillo previously emphasized the importance of consultations in explaining the scientific basis of the seasonal restrictions to fishing communities. He acknowledged that effective implementation would require cooperation among commercial operators, municipal fisherfolk, local governments, and enforcement agencies responsible for protecting the bay's marine resources.
“We conducted extensive consultations with fishing communities and industry stakeholders to explain the scientific findings behind the seasonal restrictions and why protecting breeding tamban is necessary for future catches. The success of this conservation effort will depend on the cooperation of commercial operators, municipal fisherfolk, local governments, and enforcement agencies throughout the designated waters of Tayabas Bay,” Castillo said.
BFAR CALABARZON has emphasized that protecting sardine populations during their reproductive period is essential to maintaining the long-term productivity of the region's fishing industry. The agency also underscored the responsibility of fishing operators and coastal communities to observe the restrictions and support efforts to preserve marine resources.
“The closed fishing season is intended to provide tamban with sufficient time to spawn and replenish declining populations while helping maintain fish supplies for communities surrounding Tayabas Bay. Fishing operators and coastal residents are encouraged to observe the specified restrictions and support monitoring activities so the bay's resources can continue sustaining fishing families in future years,” BFAR CALABARZON said.
Monitoring and surveillance operations will continue throughout the initial closure, with enforcement teams checking prohibited fishing gear and coordinating compliance efforts with local governments and coastal communities. The next phase begins January 1, 2027, when restrictions on specified fine-mesh municipal fishing gear take effect as authorities continue efforts to protect Tayabas Bay's sardine stocks.
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