BFAR imposes closed fishing season on sardines

MANILA, Philippines—The government has imposed a three-month closed fishing season on sardines to allow to the fish species to spawn.

There will be no catching of sardines from December 1 to March 1 next year in the waters of Zamboanga del Norte, the center of the country’s sardine industry, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said.

The agency said these are the months when mature sardines reproduce.

Sardines is one of country’s the country’s major fisheries export, with local canneries selling their products to Australia, Canada, China, Europe and the United States and providing livelihood to thousands of Filipinos.