Press Release
Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
April 23, 2013

Success of sardines closed season, not impossible for galunggong

"Ang idea lang dito ay we are inspired by what happened in the sardine closure. Madaming isda."

Those were the very words of Director Asis G. Perez on the success of the Visayan Sea and Zamboanga sardines closed season, which was implemented last year and lifted March this year in both aforementioned areas. The BFAR Chief was happy with the results.

As a result of this success, Director Perez is inspired to extend the fishing closed season over species of round scad or what is commonly known among the Filipinos as the poor man’s fish, also considered as their favourite, the galunggong. At the height of news about depletion in supply of galunggong and increase of its prices in the market (ranging from Php 60.00 up to Php 120.00 depending on size), the BFAR Director sees possible fishing closed season for galunggong as a positive way to address such problems.

“Bakit kailangan [mag-implement ng closed season sa galunggong]? Kasi ito yung pagkain ng masa. Ano ang ating pangarap? Ang pangarap natin ay maibaba ang presyo nito so that consistently we have galunggong on our table at a very, very affordable cost.... And what we want to do after the management of galunggong [is] mapababa ang presyo nito,” uttered Director Perez.

He reiterated that as a result of the closed season in Visayan Sea and Zamboanga, given that fishing is closed for that particular season even for other fish species including galunggong, there is also an increase in the catch of galunggong in those areas
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“And that is our inspiration that’s why we want to look at some areas particularly areas where galunggong can be found massive,” adds Perez.

To do this, the Capture Fisheries Technology Division (CFTD) of BFAR has already been given the directive to study where the best spot for managing galunggong can be found. Among the important things to research on are the exact peak of spawning period of galungggong, where fish aggregation with that spawning period happens, how long it takes for the species to spawn and how many eggs on the average each fish lays. Initially, the government is looking at the Northern Palawan as the area of study where closed season for galunggong will be implemented either in the last quarter of this year or first quarter of 2014.

Currently, CFTD is doing a survey on the size of galunggong sold in the wet market as an initial study on the very nature of the said fish species. From there, further studies will be conducted to help gather useful information that will serve as scientific basis for the possible seasonal closure for galunggong.
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Reference:
BFAR Information and Public Relations Group – 454-5863