'Ludon't': Catching rare 'President's Fish' prohibited until mid-November
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The mighty Abra River, one of the country's five major river systems that nurtures the endangered "Ludong" fish, is under tight watch as the Ilocos Sur Provincial Fish Regulatory Office placed it and its tributaries on "closed fishing season" starting October 1.
Ilocos Sur Provincial Fishery Regulatory Officer Benny Saraos said they are monitoring the "closed fishing season" to preserve lobed river mullet (Cestraeus plicatilis).
The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources announced the closed fishing season for Ludong pursuant to Bureau Administrative Circular (BAC) No. 247 series of 2013 "prohibiting any person, association, or corporation to catch 'Ludong'" from October 1 to November 15.
Ludong is rare and indigenous to the Cagayan River and the Abra River systems in Northern Luzon.
"We are responsible for strict monitoring of the closed fishing season of the endangered Ludong fish species because the catch basin of the Abra River is located in Barangay Banaoang in Bantay town, parts of the towns of Caoayan and Santa, and Vigan City, all in Ilocos Sur," Saraos explained.
Ilocanos also call the lobed river mullet "President’s Fish" because it is the most expensive fish in the country and sells for from P4,000-P5,000 a kilo.
The Abra River Basin, which was identified by the environment department as one of the 18 major river basins in the country, had become the lifeblood and driver of the economy in Northern Luzon.
"With the yearly implementation of the closed season, we reaffirm our commitment to protect this rare and valuable fish and to help in replenishing its numbers, thus preserving the beauty and bounty of our rivers for future generations to enjoy," said Saraos.
Abra River basin is the sixth largest basin in the Philippines, straddling Abra, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, and Benguet with an estimated drainage area of 5,125 square kilometers. Its main river has a length of about 198 kms.
The Abra River System is also one of the longest rivers in Northern Luzon. A biodiversified ecosystem, its water quality was once capable of supporting diverse aquatic species, which served, in turn, as life resources for communities along the river’s route.
BFAR Director Eduardo Gongona said they are working closely with fisherfolk, local government units, and other government agencies in implementing all conservation-related measures to save the "Ludong".
DA-BFAR is also implementing the OPLAN Sagip Ludong Project (OSLP): Save our Endangered Philippine Ludong.
This project, done in collaboration with BFAR Ilocos Region and CAR, Isabela State University, Zoological Society of London, and concerned provincial and municipal local government units (LGUs), aims to provide information to be used to analyze demographic parameters in order to gain a better understanding of the status of Ludong as a species.
The OSLP also includes the construction of the Ludong breeding facility, which will be used to address the declining population of Ludong in the wild.
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