During its recent board meeting led by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office,the strategy was identified after a series of workshops conducted since 2023 and evaluations made by a scientific advisory group and the technical working group (TWG)  which sought ways to rebuild the fish population in Western Visayas.

With its implementation, this will exempt fishing gears targeting small but already mature species, ornamental fishes, and bangus fry, among others.

BFAR Regional Director Remia A. Aparri, who also chaired the FMA Management Board, commended the members’ strong participation in the FMA Summit to showcase how science and policy collide for fisheries management.

Following the development of a new strategy, the TWG is expected to prepare an action plan to implement the harvest strategy in their respective provinces.

In a statement, BFAR said that without fine-meshed nets, fish can grow bigger and make more fish in the future.

This management strategy is also in line with the implementation of the FMA 11 Management Framework for 2022-2027 and the FMA’s campaign to end Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, especially trawl fishing in municipal waters, “Danish seine” (hulbot-hulbot) and dynamite fishing. (AAL/AGP/PIA 6)