San Dionisio fishers swap fine-mesh nets for legal gear

By Mariela Angella Oladive

SAN DIONISIO, Iloilo – Seven fishers operating sinsoro, a fine-mesh fishing gear, have surrendered their nets in exchange for bottom-set gill nets under a government program promoting sustainable fishing practices.

The gear exchange was held Aug. 17 through the joint efforts of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), the municipal government, and the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC).

The initiative is part of the “From Fine Mesh to Fair Catch: A Harvest Strategy for FMA 11 Supporting Sinsoro Operators with Sustainable Fishing Gear,” which seeks to phase out fine-mesh nets while providing affected operators with alternative gear.

Fisheries Management Area 11 is the country’s first and most advanced FMA, with BFAR Regional Office 6 leading its implementation. It covers the Visayan Sea, one of the most productive fishing grounds in the Philippines, supporting close to 200,000 registered municipal fisherfolk.

Fine-mesh nets rank among the four illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing threats that BFAR and the FMA 11 management bodies have committed to eliminate, alongside Danish seine, trawl fishing in municipal waters, and dynamite fishing.

The use of fine-mesh nets is regulated under the Philippine Fisheries Code and related fisheries regulations.

Section 93 of the Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 10654, prohibits the use of nets with mesh sizes smaller than those prescribed by the Department of Agriculture, subject to specified exceptions.

Under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 155, series of 1986, fine-mesh nets are generally defined as those with mesh sizes of less than 3 centimeters measured between two opposite knots of a full mesh when stretched.

FAO 155-1, series of 1994, sets specific provisions for certain fishing gears, including a minimum mesh size of 1.9 centimeters for specified ring net, purse seine, and bagnet operations.

The restrictions are intended to prevent the capture of juvenile and undersized fish and help conserve fishery resources.

The beneficiaries also signed a pledge committing to stop using illegal fishing gear, properly operate the replacement nets, and support fisheries protection efforts.

The activity included an orientation and briefing on responsible fishing, followed by a candle-lighting ceremony symbolizing the fishers’ commitment to sustainable fishing practices.

San Dionisio Vice Mayor Cash A. Jacomina attended the activity and expressed support for the program and the local fishing community.

Ronel Tunay of Barangay Poblacion, Concepcion, one of the beneficiaries, said the new gear would allow him to continue catching his target species.

“We are very grateful to BFAR for what they have given us. This will still help us in our livelihood efforts,” Tunay said.