Of the principal commercial species in the Philippines the anchovies are the most widely exploited. This is due to their wide range of distribution in the territorial waters of the archipelago at different seasons of the year. Consequently, it is a common all-year-round food fish which is consumed fresh as well as dried and salted. Eight species of anchovies are reported found in the Philippines (Roxas, 1934). Of these only two are important, the long-jawed anchovy, Stolephorus commersonii, and the Indian anchovy, S. indicus (Manacop, 1952). The principal fishing areas extend from the northern to the southern part of the Philippines. These are the waters of Cagayan Province, Manila Bay, Balayan Bay, Batangas Bay, Sorsogon Bay, Samar Sea, Maqueda Bay, those around Coron and Busuanga Islands, Melgar Bay, and those off northern Surigao Province, Margosatubig and southern Zamboanga. The fishing seasons vary according to areas and the life stages of the fish, but fishing is done throughout the year
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