BFAR Region 6 illustrates the coverage of the Visayan Sea closed season under Fisheries Administrative Order No. 167-3, Series of 2013, covering portions of Iloilo, Capiz, Negros Occidental and Cebu. The annual fishing ban runs from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15 to allow sardines, herrings and mackerels to replenish their stocks.
ILOILO CITY – The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Region 6 will enforce a three-month closed fishing season in designated portions of the Visayan Sea starting Nov. 15, 2026, to allow commercially important fish species to reproduce and replenish their populations.
In an announcement, BFAR-6 said the annual fishing restriction, dubbed “Pahuway sang Baybay,” or Respite of the Sea, will remain in effect until Feb. 15, 2027.
The measure covers sardines, locally known as tuloy, tamban and tabagak; herrings, including balantiyong; and mackerels, locally called guma-a, bulao and hasa-hasa.
The fishing ban is intended to protect these species during their spawning season and allow juvenile fish to grow before fishing activities resume.
According to BFAR-6, the closed season covers designated waters extending from Escalante City, Negros Occidental, toward the northern tip of Bantayan Island in Cebu, including Madridejos, and onward to the lighthouse on Gigantes Island in Iloilo.
The designated boundary continues toward Olotayan Island and Culasi Point in Capiz before following the coastline toward northern Iloilo.
Another section of the boundary extends from the mouth of Talisay River in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, across the Guimaras Strait to Tomonton Point in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental.
From there, the boundary follows the northern coast of Negros Occidental toward the mouth of Danao River in Escalante City, completing the designated conservation area.
In northern Iloilo, the municipalities identified within the coverage are Barotac Nuevo, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, Ajuy, Concepcion, San Dionisio, Batad, Estancia, Balasan and Carles.
In Capiz, the covered localities include Roxas City and the municipalities of Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas and Panay.
In northern Negros Occidental, the areas include E.B. Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Sagay City, Cadiz City and Escalante City.
Waters surrounding Bantayan Island in Cebu are also included in the conservation area.
The restriction applies to the designated fishing grounds within these localities, rather than automatically prohibiting all fishing activities throughout their municipal waters.
BFAR-6 said the annual closed season is a fisheries management measure intended to allow small pelagic species to increase their biomass, particularly during their reproductive period.
Small pelagic fish, including sardines, herrings and mackerels, are important sources of food and livelihood for coastal communities around the Visayan Sea.
The agency said the temporary restriction aims to ensure sustainable fisheries production and maintain healthy fish stocks for fishing communities and future generations.
The closed season is implemented under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 167-3, Series of 2013, which amended FAO No. 167, Series of 1989, governing the conservation of sardines, herrings and mackerels in the Visayan Sea.
The regulation is anchored on Republic Act 8550, or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998, as amended by Republic Act 10654.
Under FAO No. 167-3, the prohibition covers the catching or taking of specified sardines, herrings and mackerels, including their larvae and young, within the designated waters during the closed season.
The regulation also prohibits the purchase, sale, offering for sale and possession of the covered species from the designated fishing grounds during the restricted period.
The Visayan Sea closed season is part of the government’s continuing efforts to balance the protection of marine resources with the long-term livelihood needs of fishing communities.
BFAR works with local government units, fisheries law enforcement agencies and coastal communities to monitor compliance with the annual restriction.
During the previous closed season, from Nov. 15, 2025, to Feb. 15, 2026, BFAR-6 emphasized the importance of coordinated enforcement, community participation and scientific monitoring in protecting fish populations.
The agency has also encouraged fishing communities to support conservation measures to help sustain marine resources and improve future catches.
With the 2026-2027 closed season approaching, BFAR-6 is reminding fishing operators and coastal communities to comply with the restrictions to support the recovery and sustainable management of fish stocks in the Visayan Sea.