SOME 50,000 fishermen and canning workers in the Zamboanga Peninsula have appealed for livelihood support from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on the heels of a government-imposed fishing ban in the area.

The ban, declared by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), will take effect on Friday and would last until April next year to give way to the spawning season, which would render them jobless for the next five months.