BFAR to use armed vessels to enforce sardine fish ban

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Fishing regulators will use three armed vessels to enforce a 15-month ban on sardine fishing in 15 areas in Western Mindanao, a top fisheries official said.

Asis Perez, national director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said the vessels would ply a 4,078 nautical mile area considered sardine-fishing ground to enforce the ban.

The vessels, Perez said, would be manned by Coast Guard personnel. The largest of the three vessels, he said, would serve as command post.

Violators of the ban face jail terms of six months or six years and fines of up to P6,000. They also face losing boat and fishing licenses. Illegal catch would be seized.

A research vessel, according to Perez, was pulled out from Tawi-Tawi and brought here.

The ban starts in December. It was initially set to start this month but BFAR heeded a plea made by fishing industry leaders to delay its enforcement to allow fishermen and industry workers to adjust.

Fishing industry officials estimated at least 30,000 people will lose their jobs as a result of the sardine ban.

BFAR stood its ground, however, saying the ban was aimed at saving a dwindling population of sardines.

George Ledesma, head of the Industrial Group of Zamboanga Inc., said his group appreciates BFAR’s dedication to protecting fishing grounds but hasn’t been convinced yet that sardine population was dwindling in the region.

BFAR, Ledesma said, hasn’t presented scientific studies to support the ban.

BFAR head Perez, however, said the research vessel that BFAR was bringing from Tawi-Tawi would answer all concerns on the sardine ban.

“We don’t decide just because we want to,” said Perez. “We base it on science. There are species that are already on the brink of depletion.”

He said BFAR vessels would gather samples and larvae “to show to people which areas are in need of protection and areas where certain species of sardines abound.”

BFAR research would be conducted in 15 fishing areas in Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay.