The government will impose a three-month ban on the fishing of sardines off Zamboanga del Norte to allow the fish species to spawn and ensure enough supply next year.
The Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said the ban on the catching of sardines would be in effect in the waters off Zamboanga del Norte, the center of the Philippine sardine industry, from Dec. 1, 2011 to March 1, 2012.
BFAR Assistant Director Benjamin Tabios said these are the months when sardines reproduce. Allowing them to breed unhampered for three months would guarantee that there would be new species next year.
Tabios also assured consumers that the fishing ban should not hike the prices of canned sardines in the market.
“If we are talking of supply, there should be no problem. There is a possibility that the price would increase, but it does not depend on supply only. It could be from the prices of metal,” he said.
Survival of the species
Tabios said the canning players have pledged to BFAR Director Asis Perez that “they would not take advantage of this.”
“They still have supplies in cold storage,” he added.
The DA would issue an administrative order on the fishing ban next week, Tabios said.
The fishing ban stemmed from BFAR studies showing that the size and population of sardines from Zamboanga peninsula have been declining.
The average size of sardines recently caught in the country is 13 centimeters. Sardines this size are less than a year old.
“This means that they are being fished while they are young. There is high fishing activity,” said Nygiel Armada, BFAR’s fisheries management adviser.
Sardines are considered mature when they reach 2 to 3 years old. This is the ideal time they should be caught, when they reach between 15 to 20 cm, Armada said.
Tabios also noted that sardine canning operations in Zamboanga del Norte are expected to continue despite the fishing ban.
“Theoretically, they could still process sardines. As far as we know, the industry has stocks,” he explained.
According to industry reports, Zamboanga peninsula exported 13,000 metric tons of canned sardines, worth approximately $16 million in 2008.
Most affordable
DA officials said it was important for the government to preserve the population of small pelagic species, which includes sardines. These species are the most affordable and common source of protein for ordinary Filipinos.
Aside from tuna and mackerel, sardines are one of the major fisheries export of the Philippines.
Philippine canned sardines are also exported, providing livelihood to thousands of Filipinos.
Local sardine canneries sell their products to Australia, Canada, China, Europe and the United States.