Experts urging gov't to craft framework to protect sardines

Experts are urging the government to craft a national management framework to address overfishing sardines in the country, citing declining stocks due to heavy fishing pressure and environmental changes. "Sardines are being overfished and existing policy measures are enough to protect them, especially spawning fish. To keep up with being caught too quickly, they biologically adapt by maturing early to compensate for their population loss. They remain small, and spawn less compared to ideal, mature sardines," a scientist from University of the Philippines Visayas.