Closed season policy in Visayan Sea, Philippines: A second look

The state of marine resources is declining globally. In the Philippines, a closed season policy is one of the management strategies being implemented for the conservation and protection of marine resources. This paper presents the results of a study conducted to examine the closed season policy in the Visayan Sea and find out whether or not it has led to the attainment of the protection and conservation objectives stipulated in the policy. Stakeholders of sardine fishing through a purposive sampling technique were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. Results reveal that stakeholders of the sardine industry have different perceptions on whether or not the regulation led to an increase in fish production. Catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of the fisher-respondents substantially decreased. On the other hand, processors and traders perceived that the sardine production increased. Data from the Philippine Statistics Agency show that there is no significant increase in the country's total sardine production. The closed season policy has economic implications, which led to non-compliance. Thus, there is a need to provide livelihood programs to diversify the source of income of the stakeholders who are highly dependent on sardine fisheries. For closed season to be effective it has to be applied along with other management strategies such as mesh size regulation, establishment of Marine Protected Areas, and provision of alternative sources of livelihood. •Closed season alone may not be effective in protection and conservation of sardines.•There was no increase in the CPUE of fisher-respondents as well as no significant increase in sardine production.•There is a need to mitigate the economic impact of the policy.•Seasonal closure should be implemented along with other management options.