BFAR firms up plan to save ludong

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Philippines  – The fisheries bureau in Cagayan Valley has firmed-up a plan to save the ludong, a threatened endemic fish in this region, from extinction. This is to implement an urgent directive from Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala who visited the region earlier this month.

Part of the plan is the formation of an inter-agency task force charged to implement the planned interventions that will focus on research and development, conservation and protection, and intensified advocacy and information, education and communications. 

Dr. Evelyn Ame, BFAR project leader on ludong, said four expeditionary teams consisting of staffers from various government agencies are set to embark on exploratory fishing of ludong to determine the physico-chemical and other environmental factors affecting its habitat and possibly to catch live specimen for breeding purposes. Ame said that the live specimen will be brought to Aparri where the bureau has constructed holding tanks for research and possible breeding of the said fish.

The teams are set to be deployed any time now and will encamp at known or suspected ludong habitat region-wide.

The BFAR will also undertake studies on the taxonomic identification, genetic structure of the fish’s population, market analysis, and soil and water assessments on known habitat.

BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento, Jr. said the bureau is currently working for the issuance of a joint Administrative Order (JAO) to be signed by the secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Department of Interior and Local Government. The national government is also seeking the support of LGUs.

The BFAR is appealing to all fishermen to voluntarily refrain from catching ludong in a meantime that the agency is still working for the issuance of the JAO.

“We appeal to our fishermen to refrain from catching ludong this season and for buyers to meantime forego their appetite in order to provide the much needed respite for the species,” BFAR regional director Jovita Ayson said.

Ludong is a rare and indigenous fish that thrives in the headwaters of the Cagayan River, and Bantay-Santa of the Abra river system in the provinces of Ilocos Sur and Abra. It is catadromous, which means it thrives in freshwater but migrates to marine or seawater to spawn.

Its suspected habitats in Cagayan Valley are in the Upper Pinacanauan River in the towns of Jones, San Agustin and San Mariano in the province of Isabela, Addalem River in Aglipay, Quirino and Dasimpit rapids also in Jones. The fish migrates yearly towards the mouth of the Cagayan River in Aparri town to spawn.

Known as the Philippines’ most expensive food fish, its price is increasing annually and has reached P4,000 to P5,000 per kilo during its last spawning run.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said during his visit in Region 2 last Oct. 07 that the DA is still trying to fine-tune provisions of the proposed administrative order. The secretary also approved plans to breed the fish in captivity saying that “fingerlings to be produced can later on be dispersed to known habitat and thus facilitate and fast-tract the revival of the population of the species.”