The three-month fishing ban off Zamboanga Peninsula has greatly contributed to the increase in the population of sardines in the region, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources lifted the fishing ban in the waters off Zamboanga.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said there was a steady increase in the catch of Sardinella lemuru, or tamban, in the area due to the fishing ban.
In 2015, sardine catch was at 137,142.55 metric tons (MT). This climbed to 143,060 MT in 2016 and reached 152,283 MT in 2017.
Piñol added that fishing corporations reported an increase in the sightings of big fish species that feed on sardines. —KARL R. OCAMPO
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