The annual three-month closed fishing season for round scad or galunggong in Northern Palawan will begin on Friday, November 1, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

The agency announced that using purse seine, ring net, and bagnet in catching galunggong within the conservation area northeast of Palawan will be strictly prohibited starting tomorrow until January 31, 2025.

The closed fishing season is a conservation measure designed to protect galunggong during peak spawning, allowing mature fish to reproduce and juveniles to grow.

For nine consecutive years, the closed fishing season for galunggong has yielded positive results with scientific data from the National Stock Assessment Program (NSAP) of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) indicating significant improvements in fish population.

The percentage of mature galunggong caught has increased from 58% in 2015 to 85% in 2023, and their average length has grown from 16.7 cm to 18.9 cm over the same period.

These gains indicated better fish growth, resilience, and sustainability, all of which were attributed to the closed fishing season.

Philippine Statistics Authority data also showed galunggong production in Palawan rose from 7,507 metric tons in 2016 to 8,146.84 metric tons in 2022, demonstrating the effectiveness of said conservation efforts.