The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project gathered members of its technical working group and management body for a policy review for the Goby Fry (Ipon) run fishery of the Abra River System in Regions 1 and CAR in Baguio City from February 3-5, 2026.
In Northern Luzon, the goby fry fishery is a thriving livelihood not known to many. Aside from goby providing a readily available source of food, it also provides seasonal income for communities near riverine and coastal communities. Dr. Nico Jose Leander from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources III shared that the goby fishery will continue to provide food and alternative source of income, if managed well and protected. Partner stakeholders also saw this thus, this policy review. This activity aims to come up with policies for the conservation and management of goby fry.
“This activity is timely and important, as it provides a venue to review existing policies, identify gaps and implementation issues, and develop science-based and socially responsive policy recommendations for the sustainable management of the goby fishery,” said Ms. Carmelita Bolla, FMRED Chief of BFAR-CAR.
She further added that through this activity, coordination across regions and jurisdictions is hoped to be strengthened, alignment of coastal and riverine management measures is ensured, and ultimately contribute to the long-term conservation of our fishery resources and the livelihoods that depend on them.
On the other hand, Mr. Neil Kenneth Catibog, FMRED Chief of BFAR Region III and FishCoRe’s Alternate Focal Person hope that the policy review, aside from the policy brief as its main output, will ultimately pave way for the formulation of a Fishery Management Plan for Goby Fry/Ipon.
Two policy briefs were crafted during the activity titled “Small Fish, Big Impact: Why the Abra River’s Goby Fishery Needs Action Now” and “Regulating Fine Mesh Net – Not Totally Banning for the Goby Fry Harvesting in the Ilocos Region.” Said policy briefs will still undergo further refinement and review before publication and use during awareness campaigns.
Goby Fry, locally known as ipon, bunog, biya, bia, pijanga, paliling and tartarak in Ilocos Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), is widely distributed throughout the tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world.
The Abra River System, originating from the Cordillera mountains flows west ward passing through Ilocos Sur then re-enters the Abra Province again, joining the Tineg River. The river system eventually exits Abra, flows through Ilocos again, before draining to the West Philippine Sea.//MJMetwa
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