INANUNSIYO ng Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ng Department of Agriculture (DA-BFAR) ang pagsisimula ng annual three-month closed fishing season para sa round scad o galunggong sa Northern Palawan.
Sa isang advisory, sinabi ng DA-BFAR na mahigpit nitong ipinagbabawal ang paggamit ng purse seine, ring net, at bag net sa panghuhuli ng galunggong sa loob ng conservation area northeast ng Palawan mula November 1, 2024 hanggang January 31, 2025.
“The closed fishing season is a science-based conservation measure that aims to protect target fish species during their peak spawning period,” ayon sa DA-BFAR.
“This allows mature fish to freely reproduce, while juveniles to grow and mature, thereby promoting regeneration, sustainability, and long-term availability of these valuable fish stocks,” dagdag pa ng ahensiya.
Ang closed fishing season para sa galunggong ay nasa ika-9 na taon na ng pagpapatupad nito.
Sinabi ng DA-BFAR na ang implementasyon ng closed fishing season initiative ay patuloy na nagbubunga ng positibong resulta base sa scientific data na nakalap sa pakikipagtulungan sa National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP) ng National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI).
“Most significant observations are the increase in percentage of mature galunggong catch from 58% in 2015 to 85% in 2023, which signifies that more of the species are reaching reproductive age; as well as the recorded increase in average length of galunggong from 16.7 cm in 2015 to 18.9 cm in 2023,” ayon sa DA-BFAR.
“These results exhibit improved fish growth, species resilience, and sustainable population, attributed to the effective implementation of the closed fishing season,” dagdag pa nito.