The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issues a new administrative measure tightening safeguards for the Philippine blue swimming crab, known as “alimasag.” The updated rules, issued through a Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO No. 277), strengthen regulation of how the species is caught, including fishing methods intended to reduce harm to other marine life. One reported provision sets a 500-meter limit on the length of gillnets used during fishing operations. BFAR says this restriction is aimed at lowering accidental capture (incidental bycatch) of protected marine species, including marine mammals and other threatened or endangered organisms. The measures are also linked to efforts to maintain or regain access to the United States market for blue crab products, according to one outlet’s report. Overall, the administrative order focuses on compliance and operational limits designed to improve conservation outcomes while supporting the regulated harvest and export of alimasag.