Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala expressed confidence that the Philippines' fisheries sector will recover in the first semester of 2013 due to the government’s intervention to replenish fish populations in key marine biodiversity in the country.

Alcala noted the decline in fish production in the country for the previous years due to massive overfishing.

He said to address this problem of overfishing, the DA, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR),  ordered a "closed season" for sardines, herrings, and mackerels in the Visayas Sea from Nov. 15, 2012 to Feb. 15, 2013, the fish species’ spawning season, to enable the fish to regenerate and propagate.

He said the United States Agency for International Development and the DA-BFAR also launched the Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries (ECOFISH) Project to help improve the management of the country's marine and coastal resources.

The five-year technical assistance project designed to protect and manage eight marine key biodiversity areas in the country -- the Calamianes Group of Islands in Palawan, Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan, Ticao Pass-Lagonoy Gulf-San Bernardino Strait in Bicol and Samar region, Danajon Double Barrier Reef in Bohol and Leyte, Southern Negros Occidental, Surigao provinces, the Sulu Archipelago and the Verde Island Passage in Batangas, and the Mindoro area.

ECOFISH aims to conserve biological diversity, enhance ecosystem productivity, and restore profitability of fisheries using ecosystem-based approaches to create broader social, economic and environmental impacts.

The Philippines currently ranks 8th in total fisheries production globally. Recent national stock assessment report, however, stated that two-thirds of the 12 major fishing bays in the country are overfished. There is also indication that the catch rates of reef fisheries as among the lowest in the world, partly due to the use of dynamite and cyanide in fishing.

Under ECOFISH, Alacala said the government hopes to reverse the trend by establishing and implementing technical training programs, supporting local governments in improving management of municipal marine waters, and facilitating collaboration between governments, institutions, and private sector partners.*