With illegal fishing still “deeply entrenched” in parts of northern Iloilo, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is launching one of its toughest enforcement pushes yet as the Visayan Sea enters a three-month closed season starting this November 15. Officials said the crackdown will run parallel to the annual ban on catching key pelagic species, a move designed not only to protect spawning fish but also to break the cycle of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing that continues to deplete one of the country’s richest fishing grounds.

Galigao, N. N. (2025, November 15-16). Visayan Sea closed season begins; BFAR steps up illegal fishing crackdown. Panay News, pp. 3, 15.