THE three-month tuna ban in the Davao Gulf resumed for its second year, after the regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Davao region reported that tuna and other fish species are actively spawning this time of the year.
The closed season starting June 1 and lasting up to August 31 was mandated to secure the tuna and fish species that are in their breeding period and to conserve the marine resources of the province, authorities said.
“Davao Gulf is an ideal and potential spawning and breeding ground for tuna and tuna-like species,” BFAR 11 Regional Director Fatima M. Idris was quoted in a statement as saying.
Because of this, special attention and strict enforcement should be given to Davao Gulf, especially at the eastern portion where high concentration of tuna is found, according to Idris.
The closed season is in accordance to the joint administrative order released by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior and Local Government implementing a closed season in the gulf from June 1 to August 31 every year.
In 2012 the Department of Science and Technology reported a decline of catch fish in the Davao region from 2000 to 2010.
The study revealed poor fishing practices, along with water pollution, destroyed fishing habitat, diminishing sea grass, conversion of mangrove planting areas as the reasons for this decline.
Furthermore, BFAR Region 11’s national stock assessment program indicated that the decline in fish production could not meet the demand for fish in Davao. This has prompted the declaration of the closed season last year. The BFAR 11 office said it will use six boats to enforce the closed season, with two boats to patrol the Davao Oriental side of the gulf, another two along Samal Island, and two along Davao del Sur.
Fishermen and fishing companies will not be allowed to catch pelagic fishes using ring nets and bag nets. The ban also applies to small-scale to large-scale commercial fishing with vessels from 3.1 gross tons (GT) to more than 150 GT.
Davao Gulf is a key biodiversity area in the Philippines, and is listed as one of the 34 biodiversity hot spots in the world. The area is also the feeding ground for 11 species of cetaceans, including sperm whales, killer whales and bottle-nose dolphins. It is also a nursing ground for five endangered turtle species, including hawksbill, leatherback, and the olive ridley. It serves as the final catchment for all runoffs, erosion and effluents coming from several watersheds in the region.
Image credits: Mau Victa