BFAR bans harvest of juvenile mangrove crabs, spiny lobsters

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said it has banned the harvest of juvenile mangrove crabs and spiny lobsters to prevent overfishing and implemented a registration system for fishermen harvesting these resources. In two separate fisheries administrative orders, the BFAR sought to regulate the trade in the two species, and required members of this fishery, including growers and collectors, to be registered with and certified by their local governments. “The catching of their juveniles and fry are intended for aquaculture seed stock that will be cultured for grow-out and harvested for food. Others, at the very minimum, are harvested for research purposes,” BFAR Information Officer Nazario C. Briguera said in an e-mail.