This fish is worth a fortune

DAGUPAN CITY – Unknown to many Ilocanos in Santa and Cauayan, Ilocos Sur, and in Abra, a fish named "pigek" or "bulido" is as precious as gold that promises to give them fortune if properly conserved and preserved.

Dr. Westly Rosario, executive director of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) who is also the center chief of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bonuon Binloc here, said BFAR is offering "double the price" of live pigek turned over to them in a bid to conserve the fish which is now in danger of becoming extinct in Cotabato area because of uncontrolled and unregulated fishing.

Pigek is a highly priced fish in southern Philippines and caught in commercial volume in Rio Grande de Mindanao, Tamontaka River and Polangi River, Cotabato. It has an excellent taste comparable to other priced fish like grouper "lapu-lapu" and blue marlin. Latest information on its market price is about P1,000 per kilogram in the area and it is presented as a gift to some high ranking government officials in Manila.

A biological investigation and survey of pigek conducted by BFAR in region 12 in the 80s, pigek was identified as Mesoprists cancellatus that belongs to family Terapontidae, a migratory species spawning offshore and maturing in inland waters. It has a high fecundity rate – a female can release 504,900 to 1,700,000 eggs.

In response to the directive of BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. to manage and conserve endemic and indigenous fish species, Edna Agasen, senior aquaculturist and project leader of the Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Division of NFRDI, in coordination with BFAR region I, Cordillera Autonomous Region and the local government unit of Ilocos Sur and Abra, conducted an assessment and biological investigation of endemic and indigenous fish species in Abra in 2004. Based on the results of the study, pigek is one of the commercially important fish species caught in Santa and Cauayan, Ilocos Sur, downstream of Abra River.

Morphological characteristics of the samples of bulidao in Abra River are similar with the pigek in Cotabato River.

Average catch of bulidao in Santa and Cauayan area of Abra River ranged from 1.5 kg/unit to 6.4 kg/unit for three to four hours fishing time. Peak season was noted in July and August.

Middlemen in the area reported that most of the buyers of bulidao are big restaurants, rich politicians and Chinese businessmen in Vigan City and nearby municipalities.

Juanito Ancheta, a fisherman in Casiber, Santa, Ilocos Sur said he used to catch 100 kg of bulidao in three hours of fishing in 1970s to 1980s but this has declined due to excessive fishing and illegal fishing activities such as the use of electro-fishing and fine mesh nets. At present, there’s no approved management regulation to conserve M. cancellatus in Ilocos Sur and Abra, a BFAR report said.

To sustain this valuable species, Agasen recommended that fishery laws be strictly implemented and the local government of the municipalities bordering Abra River (upstream and downstream) should formulate appropriate management measures and to increase fish production research on breeding and culture of commercially important indigenous fish should be undertaken.

Rosario told local newsmen that part of their 2006 focus is to increase fish production and priority should be given to aquaculture. Pigek is one of the candidate indigenous species for research on breeding and culture.