The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) on Wednesday announced the start of the closed fishing season in northern Palawan to allow “galunggong” (round scad) to thrive.
The DA-BFAR said during the three-month suspension of fishing from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, 2022, the use of purse seine, ring net, and bag net is prohibited in catching “galunggong” within the conservation area on the northeast side of Palawan.
Serving as a conservation measure, this policy is aimed toward protecting the species during its peak spawning season, and further addressing overfishing, climate change, among other concerns, the DA-BFAR said.
DA-BFAR’s practice of closed fishing season started seven years ago, yielding positive results as the “galunggong” catch significantly increase in the area.
Based on the National Stock Assessment Program of the DA-BFAR and the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, catch estimates of the species caught by purse seine has increased from 233.07 metric tons (MT) in 2015 to 434.98 MT in 2020, while those caught by ring net bumped up from 187.02 MT to 206.30 MT in the same period.
DA-BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona, in a statement sent to reporters, said the recorded increase in catch of “galunggong” in the area has been made possible by the strong cooperation and support of the government, commercial fishers, and other stakeholders to take care of the country’s fishery resources.
By virtue of DA-DILG Joint Administrative Order No. 1, series of 2015, the DA-BFAR has been working with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and with the support of the fishery sector and other stakeholders through the Technical Working Group on Roundscad Fisheries Management in Palawan.
“We strongly urge our fisheries stakeholders to be one with the government in the implementation of the closed fishing season in Palawan. This measure will help protect the commercially-important ‘galunggong’ species, ensuring its availability as part of our efforts following the guidance of Agriculture Secretary William Dar on
achieving food security and fostering sustainable growth in the fisheries industry,” Gongona said.
The BFAR said Palawan remains one of the major suppliers of the fish species to the highly urbanized cities of Metro Manila, with 95 percent of “galunggong” catch landed at the Navotas Fish Port
originating from the province.
To further supplement the fish supply while the closed fishing season is in effect, the Bureau will give emphasis to aquaculture products as an alternative, as well as ensuring the availability of fish products in the market through programs such as Oplan ISDA.
Launched on July 2021, Oplan ISDA is aimed to establish a strong direct link between the producers and the sellers of fish commodities and provide additional supply at an affordable price in the National Capital Region and other areas of the country.